The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-29
NOT MARSHALL'S.
Topeka Band Will Not Lead
Labor Day Parade.
Trouble Arose Over the Nom
union Players.
STAND BY PLAYERS.
Officers Deny Request That
Two Players Be Dismissed.
Eskridge Band Engaged to Lead
Labor Parade.

Marshall's band will not lead the
Labor day parade in Topeka this year,
much to the regret of many of the
laboring men who are going to turn
out and surely to the regret of the peo-
pie of the city who delight to listen to
the band on all occasions.
The failure of the band to be at the
head of the procession this year is due
to the fact that there are a couple of
men playing with the band who are
working at their trades in violation of
the rules of the labor unions. An effort
has been made by the officials in
charge of the parade to have the band
organization lay off the members who
are offensive to the union. Such eff
forts met with no success as the Of
ficers of the band would not listen to
the suggestions.
As soon as the laboring people per-
fected their plans for the Labor day
celebration the committee on music.
consisting of Bert Compton of the Tin
smiths union, Thomas McGinnis of
the Boilermakers' union and w. L.
Stark of the Machinists' union, at once
decided to employ MarshalPs band.
Overtures were made to the band peo-
pie and one hundred dollars was fixed
as the price of the band for the occa-
committee on music but they did not
close negotiations at once. In the
meantime they went over the roster of
the band on the lookout for laboring
men who were not affiliated with
unions. They found on the rolls the
names of James Cowdrey, the snare
drummer, and B. B. Clearly a bass
horn player. Cowdrey works in the
union machinists have been on a
strike for a year. Cleary is a painter
and paper hanger and is not affiliated
with the union that looks after that
trade
The music committee decided that
| they could not employ the band if
| these men were to play. They went to
| Harry Barnes, secretary of the band
two men be laid off for that day. Mr..
Barnes met the proposition with a fiat
refusal. Speaking of the matter today
Mr.. Barnes said:
| There was no trouble or contro-
versy of any kind between the officers
of the band and the music committee
| of the trades unions. We could not
afford for the sake of the organization
of the band, to ask any of the members
not to play on any occasion. We could
not entertain such a proposition for a
moment. We simply told the commit
| tee that we were willing to play in the
Labor day parade as a band. regardless
of the personality of the members @Or
their nonaffiliation with labor organiza-
tions. This was all there was to it,
John B. Marshall, leader of the
band, said today that he had had no
personal dealings with the labor mu-
sic committee concerning the employ
ment of the band on Labor day. "Our
band,'' he said. sis not a money max
ing organization or business institu-
ton in any sense of the word. We are
simply in existence because we think
that Topeka should have a good band.
In order to get a good band we have
had to take all the good musicians in
Topeka that we could find. We asked
none of them what church they be-
lOnged to nor did we question their
affiliations with or without labor or
CARNATIONS. Under these circum-
stances it would be unfair, not only to
the men whose labor standing has been
questioned, but also to the whole band
to ask any one of them not to play on
any occasion. We could not think of
such a thing"
Members of the laboring mems mu-
sic committee feel that the band organ
ization should have stretched a point
for this occasion and asked COWdrey
and Cleary to relinquish their right to
play with the band in the parade.
Mr.. Stark of the committee said in
| this respect: at seems to me that it
| is unfair to the fifty-four other men in
| the band to insist on playing Cleary
and Cowdrey and thereby depriving
| the band organization of one hundred
dOlldfS. IL Is simply out Oh the QueS-
| ton for us to have the band parade
with these nonunion men in it and the
matter is all off as far as we are con-
cerned. We have hired band from
| Eskridge. Kansas, to take the place of
Marshall'S band"
The coming Labor day celebration
promises to be one of the most sue
cessful ones held in Topeka. All of
| the various trades unions in the city
are working tremendously to that end.
In addition to the big parade, there
will be a picnic at Vinewood. with
good speaking and an attra ctive list of
sports and games. Among other sports
there will be a baseball game between
two local mines. Liberal prizes will be
offered to the winners in the various
sports. list of which will be publish
/ ed later. The committees in charge of
the affair are making every effort to
make the celebration a success in
every way, and the prospects are that
their hopes will be realized.