Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-06-08
HASKIN LETTER
Bv FREDERIC J. HASKIN
MUNICIPAL MUSIC.

Baltimore, Md, June 5.-Baltimore's
famous symphony orchestra, which is
the only such organization supported by
city in the United States, is now pre-
pairing under Musical Director Frederick
r. Huber for its sixth and greatest sea-
son. 1t will give IL classical concerts
this year, which is certainly an achieve
ment, and what is still more OF an
achievement, it will give them on Sun
days.
For this city symphony orchestra is
unique not only in being the only one
of it's kind in the United States, but also
in the fact that it lives and operates IN
defiance of both law and city ordinance.
At least, these elements in the city pop.
ulation favor the literal enforcement OF
the famous Maryland blue laws claim
that to give a concert in Maryland on
Sunday is a violation of the letter OF
that law, and they also interpret certain
city laws as prohibiting such perform
ances. But the present administration
takes a different view of the situation.
When Director Huber got ready to give
his first Sunday concert, he first got
written permission from the police. The
chief of police took the view that since
since the sale of tickets was to end on
the Saturday preceding the concert, the
performance was within the law. The
letter containing this permission Mr..
Huber has framed and hung on the wall
of his office as trophy of the first
triumph of liberalism over the narrow
puritanism of the blue laws.
The Pious Protest.
The ministerial union and various
other organizations and individuals
made objections, but the concerts have
been held, and with increasing success
because the great majority of the peo-
pie are strongly in favor of having them
Indeed. the success of the whole of Bal
timore's city musical department must
be a revelation to those who believe
that there is no appreciation of art II
America. It should be understood that
these are classical concerts of the high
est type. No popular music is played
The orchestra is a complete one of 6C
pieces, led by Gustave Strube, a musi-
clan of highest standing. This orches-
ira differs from the great privately
owned ones of New York and Boston
only in that its prices are mere trac-
tion of theirs. The best scat at one OF
the Baltimore concerts costs but 81
cents. 1t does not take a rich man tc
hear classical music in Baltimore, Du1
it generally takes an early riser. Ever
in the coolest weather, long waiting lines
form before the box office where the
concert tickets are sold. No concert
has ever been given with a seat unsold
and usually all of the standing room il
taken as we'll The hall in which the
concerts are given seats nearly two thou
sand persons. and three or four hundred
usually stand The city treasury takei
loss of about seven hundred dollars
on each concert. This could easily b.
made up by a small increase in the prize
of tickets, and an increase of abou
thirty per cent. which would still leay'
the admission charge a fraction of wha
it costs to hear similar music in othe
American cities. would enable the or
chestra to be not only self supporting
but also to support the other activitie
of the musical department. The senti
ment however. seems to be against sucl
| an increase, the desire being to keep th'