Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-05
NATIONAL SECRETARY
PROBES BANDNUDDLE
Senator Owen Miller, of st. Louis
Investigates Conditions of
Musicians Union
S. II. BAND is CONCERNED
Question Has Arisen Whether or Not
Members Of Soldiers Home Band
Can Properly Belong to the Union
Other Musicians Claim Home Band
Hurts Unonsm.


among the musicians of this city dur
ing the past few years, resulting in a
split in what was formerly the Forty
ninth Iowa and later the Marshalltown
band, and the formation of two organ
izations, known as the MarshalltoWn
Union and the Marshalltown band, is
deemed of sufficient Importance to
warrant an investigation into the mer-
IT'S of the fight on the part of Senator
owen Miller of ST. Louis. editor OF
the International Musician, and secre-
tary Of the American Federation of
Musicians.
Mr.. Miller left for st. Louis yester-
day, after having spent day mere
looking IN evidence. and talking with
different musicians, members of the
various bands. He took with him a
voluminous bundle of testimony that
he will go over carefully before CIV
ing any decision on the part of the
union.
Soldiers Home Band Interested.
In addition to the two bands in the
city, a third is maintained at the SOL
diers' home. Members of the latter
organization are union musicians, and
have played both in the home and
union band. :
Objections have been registered with
Secretary Miller by local musicians to
the position the home band occupies
in the union. The claim is made that
the home band cuts into the work OF
the organizations down town, and that
on certain occasions. the band is COM
PEELED, because of the members en-
ployment by the state, to play for GER
tain occasions at less than the regular
union scale. The home band. 1t is also
pointed out, are at the call of the COM
mandant of the home, and are CON-
PEELED to play without remuneration
many times where, if there were no
band at the home, the work would
fall to the bands in the city. Instances
of this kind are cited in the evidence
furnished Mr.. Miller. In fact, 1t is
claimed by musicians of the city. the
colonizing of musicians at the home
is not in accordance with the strict
principles Of unionism and demoral-
ICES the local federation.
Horton Refuses to Sign.
Commandant Horton was inter
viewed by Secretary Miller while the
latter was in the city, and was asked
to sign contract to the effect that he
would pay the members of the horne
band union wages when they played
at the regular weekly concerts given at
the home. This the commandant re-
fused to do, as he claims the members
Of the home band are paid for other
duties they perform at the home, and
not hired as musicians only. "The only
understanding l have ever had with
the band" the cornmandant said, "Was
that they were to play without charge
on Memorial day. They also furnish
the band for funerals and inspection.
What they do outside and get pay for,
so long as they attend to their res;u
lar duties here, is nothing to me, and
1 can not see where I am interested
in the controversy"
Director Nokes Has a Say.
Mr.. F. T. Nokes, director Of the
soldiers home band, and for the past
year director Of the Marshalltown I'm
ion band, was asked concerning the
home bands interest in the controv-
ersy. Mr.. .Nokes furnished much evil
dence to Secretary Miller, refuting
certain allegations made by the down
town musicians. Mr.. Nokes said:
'The down town musicians are try
ing to show in this matter that the
soldiers home band, the members of
which in nearly every instance belong
TO the union, are illegal members of the
union because they are the same as
enlisted men, and under the direct or
ders of Colonel Horton. Now this is
not true. Colonel Horton has never
ordered this band out in any way, and
we have played no jobs that are in de-
fiance of any union rules, or which
would tend to make us appear as a
competitive organization. The fact
is we are non-competitive band. We
never go off the home grounds for con-
tracts, and the only way we ever work
in the city is when the down town
musicians ask US to do the work. We
are not colonizing musicians.
'tThe directors of the local union did
pass resolution, asking Commandant
Horton not to take any contracts for
cur band. The colonel replied he was