Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-08-31
FAIR BOARD NOT
AGAINST UNIONS
Offered Employment to Organ
lied Band, but 1t Was
Refused.

Although the Indiana State board Of
agriculture. has not employed a union
band to play at the State fair next week
It does not follow that the board is I'M
friendly to labor organizations, says a
statement issued by the board today. ad-
dressed to the laboring men and taxpay-
ers Of Indiana.
The statement was given in reply to
criticisms made by union labor because
the fair association employed the Purdue
University band as the main musical at
traction at the fair
The statement is as follows:
we are using and have been using on
the State Playground this whole season
union men. We have used only union
carpenters, union electricians, union
plumbers. and a number of union pain
ters. The public realizes that we ara a
State institution and therefore must treat
all citizens Of the State alike and with
due consideration.
For many years past we have en-
plOyed union musicians for the week OF
the fair. but our fair has grown to the
proportions until it was very difficult for
ia to fit our program to the union scale
OF hours, as it is necessary for Us to
have music in our program at irregular
times and at such times az the judges,
9nd starters. and officials are ready for
the same. It has been our experience that
the musicians in the past have left the
band stand long before our program
would be finished, as some days it Is
necessary for our program to continue
until o'clock I'm the afternoon.
I'VE have been requested each and
every fair for the last several years to
employ Purdue University's band. This
band. as everyone knows, is a part Of
Purdue University student and faculty
force and Of course a part of our State
institution. The demands this year We're
very strong from all sections of the State
that we employ this band; therefore, the
board. acting on what they thought to
be fair basis, employed said band. This
action was objected to very strongly by
the local musicians union.
1T was found later that we would
need a band or a musical Organiza ton
of some kind for the auto show. to be
held at the Playground. The officers OF
the board Immediately got in touch with
the local musicians union and offered to
employ them for this show, but they re-
fused to work for us because we had
employed a nOnunion band for some
other place on the ~ round. 1t is a
fact that the board no\ rally employees
two to three bands to furnish the music
for the fair. We thought we were act
ing fairly when we were offering to en-
plOy the union band and the Purdue
band.
Thinking that we have been fair, we
respectfully request the patronage Of each
citizen of Indiana in attendance at the
fair. The taxpayers OF Indiana only pay,
through direct appropriation, $4,000 per
year for the running Of the fair and our
receipts must come through gate admis-
sions and other receipts from our patrons
Sister States are appropriating from the
taxpayers as much as 100000 per year
for the fair, SO you see when we are
making this request from our citizens
we feel we are offering them their
money 5 worth in the way of education
and amusement and that they ought not
to be Influenced by any organization or
group Of citizens adversely because Of
their desire for personal gain"