The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-03
NOTHING IN WAY.
Council and Pipe Organ AssOci-
alton Make Terms.
Will Not Give Up the Exclusive
Control.
PARSIFAL THE FIRST.
VIII Be Given at Auditorium
April Is.
PARSIFAL THE FIRST.
Citizens Determined to Secure
the Big Instrument.

At a meeting at the Commercial club
rooms Wednesday afternoon an under
standing was reached between mem
bers of the Topeka Pipe Organ associa-
ton and several representatives of the
city council, which promises to remove
further obstacles to the accomplish
ment of the plans for the installation
OF a pipe organ in the Auditorium. Five
members OF the council We're present at
the meeting. members of the ways and
means committee by which the first
proposition made by the Pipe Organ
association was received. BY Il slight
change in the wording, this proposal
has been made acceptable to the five
members Of the council who were pres
ent yesterday, and 1t will now proba-
bly, meet with the approval OF the 9TH
er councilmen. The Pipe Organ asso-
citation will not exercise exclusive con-
troll over the Auditorium, the feature
of the proposition made by the associa-
ton which aroused the objections of
the council.
Arrangements will be made at once
by the executive committee of the as
ISOLATION for the 'Parsifal' concert
which is to be given in the Auditorium
on April 16 This opera is still running
in New York city with great success.
While on a recent visit there Frank Z.
MacLennan undertook to secure a seat
for a performance As the best he
could obtain cost eight dollars and was
so far from the stage as to be undesir
able at any price he gave up the pro-
ject. The company which viii present
the Iecture-concert here will consist Of
Walter Damrosch, who will give a de-
scriptive account of the action of the
drama; eight or ten European concert
singers, who will give the music of the
principal parts, and the Metropolitan
Opera House orchestra.
At yesterdays meeting DR.. L. A. Ry-
der stated the basis of the objections
of the council to the granting of the con-
troll of the Auditorium to any individual
or company for an extended period of
time. The association had asked that
1t be given authority to book all paid
attractions which might apply for the
use Of the Auditorium during the next
five years, or until the pipe organ should
be paid for, in order that revenue might
be derived from that source for the ben
eft of the pipe organ fund. When pre-
scented with the request the council re-
fused 1t on the ground that by grant
ing it the council would have delegat-
ed away Its control over the building.
DR.. Ryder said
1T is a question of the authority of
the council to place the property which
1t has been given charge of as a public
trust, in the hands of a private indi-
Vtdual to manage. I do not believe we,
as councilmen have any moral right to
do that. And, anyway-if we are to give
Auditorium I think we ought to fix it
so the city will get the revenue for
the city certainly needs it badly enough.
But the Auditorium has never been op-
Grated as money making scheme. 1t
was built for the benefit of the public,
and has been managed with that in
view. 1 do not believe the council has
any right to delegate its authority over
the building"
A suggestion was made by Frank P.
MacLennan, which lead to a solution of
the difficulty. He said:
Why not request the city council to
adopt q resolution to the effect that
when any proposition shall he submit
ted for the use of the building, the city
clerk shall refer it to the Pipe Organ
association with the view of securing
revenue for the Pipe Organ fund At
ter the association has made whatever
arrangement it can with the applicant
the proposition may finally be referred
back to the council for approval
Thef1ve councilmen whe were present,
Samuel I. Howe, DR.. L. A. Ryder,
Joseph Griley, George Neil and Luther
M. Nell1s, asSented to this suggestion
as it did not contain any exclusive
CONTROL features and allowed the CITY
to have final judgment on applications
AS a majority of the members of the
ways and means committee of the coun-
ell, which had the consideration of for
nler proposal, were present, a meeting
OF that committee was called forth
with and a recommendation to the
council was agreed on. It is Incorporate
ed in the following resolution:
Whereas, The city council is DESTROYS
Of securing a suitable pipe organ fol-
the auditorium; therefore,
Resolved, That in all applications
for the use of the auditorium for profit
the city clerk be Instructed to confer
with the pipe organ association and tc
make the best possible arrangement fol-
the benefit of the organ fund, reporting
the same to the mayor and city council
For 6Dol