Norwich bulletin., 1912-12-16
LETTERS THE EDITOR.
Want to Give Norwich Benefit of Best
 Musical Artists in World.

MT. Editor: Upon my return home Saturday evening, after a ten days absence from the city, my attention was called to two letters which ap- peared in The Norwich Morning Bull letin, one signed Justice" and the other Fair Play and both protesting against the management of the Slater hall concerts, in regard to the method of selling the seats. Amongst other things stated is the following: Can we not have an Academy course for our own tewnspeople?" I would say in reply to Fair Play" you can have course confined entirely to Norwich people and exclude everybody else, if you wish, provided you, or someone whom you may select, is willing to make good any deficit that may oe- cur. It seems to me that the writer of that letter is exhibiting the same spirit that existed years ago and which was responsible for the discontinuance of the Slater hall concerts at that time can remember when the Boston Sym phony orchestra was brought to Slater hall at big financial loss, and this loss was made good through the gen. erosity of one of the most public spir- ited citizens that Norwich ever had
 but he is not a resident of Norwich now, and got little credit for his gen. erosity.
 It was this same spirit of criticism that is shown by Justice" and Fair Play" on this occasion that was re- sponsible for the discontinuance of these concerts, and because no one else was willing to assume the responsibil- ity of financial loss which was in evitable in bringing such an organiza-
 tion to our little city. It is this same
 spirit that is responsible for the fact that Norwich today is little better than an overgrown village in many re-
 speets, whereas it should be in class
 with Worcester, Waterbury and other
 progressive cities.
 If Fair Play" or Justice" feel that
 they are competent to conduct the Slater hall concerts and present at
 fractions of the same high character
 that have marked this course in the
 past and at the same time protect the
 Academy against financial loss, then
 the writer will cheerfully resign in their favor and at the same time will agree to give them all the support that he can in their efforts.
 Past experience has shown that it is
 utterly impossible to run these musical courses without the support that has been so generously given by the musical people of Westerly, Willimantic and New London. And their cooperation has
 been obtained only by persistent ef- forts on the part of the management. Their attendance at these concerts entails quite a sacrifice on their part, as 1t necessitates an added expense l for travelling besides the inconvenience l and the discomfort of the journey, par 1 ticularly of the return trip. The man. | agement feels that the least that they 1 might do for them is to select their | seats, thereby doing away with the l necessity of their making special l trip for that purpose, and they feel that all Norwich people ought to be considerate enough to allow them this l privilege, particularly as 1t leaves | plenty of good seats for everybody. If Fair Piay'' or Justice" have any thing to offer to show that they are | more competent to manage these con- l of them, I trust that they will make Il | known in the next issue of this paper i If they think that they can conduct | this course more successfully and with | greater satisfaction to the public. then they are the persons that the present management is looking for.
 l All that the promoters get out Of these concerts is the satisfaction oi being able to bring to a city the size of Norwich the greatest musical artists ! that the world has produced, attrae- tions which under ordinary eonditioni 1 would be teo large an undertaking tt
 be considered,
 Personally might say that my enis desire is that Norwich will continue