New-York tribune., 1921-05-15

ing the season Just ended and will oc-
cupy the attention of managers, trus-
| tees, conductors, players and the mu-
| sicians' union for long time to come.
In a statement by Mr.. Harry Hardness
Flagler, printed in The Tribune last
Sunday, the difficulties which the Sym
| phony Society has had with its players
because of their efforts to violate their
contracts, and the dangers which
threaten all the orchestral crganiza-
tions We're calmly yet plainly and
forcibly stated This is information
from official headquarters, for Mr..
tlagler's unselfish and munifcent gen.
erosity alone has kept the Symphony
Society in existence. If the exactions
of the musicians union are continued
| Mr.. Flagler plainly says that two
courses only lie open to the Symphony
Society, namely, the abandonment of
| its activities Or the organization of a
| non-union orchestra. The first course
is the most natural, logical and simple
| solution of the problem. In the pres
would be impossible to blame Mr..
| Flagler if he were to lay down his self
assumed burdens. Not only he but Mr..
| Mackay, Mr.. Kahn and their fellow
philanthropists would be amply justi-
fed in withdrawing their support from
enterprises which are not essential to
! the artistic welfare of the community
| Cat least not in the degree which they
seem to have imagined) and which
have not been met with appreciation
Or gratitude from any of their real or
supposed Notwithstanding con-
/ ductors and players in the first class
and the public in the second. The Ma
! tional Symphony concerts have cost
their projectors over 100000; the con-
certs of the Philharmonic and Sym
| phony societies at least 100000 more.
1t has been demonstrated that the
people of New York are either unable
or unwilling to pay the cost of the
concerts offered them. That at least
seems a fair deduction from the fact
cited. Moreover, it has been asserted,
and is undoubtedly true, that if every
seat in Carnegie Hall is paid for next
season the concerts will yet produce a
deficit.
Let US venture upon another predic-
tfon, based upon experience and some
knowledge of the past and present
attitude of concert promoters and con-
certgoers: The amalgamation of the
Philharmonic and National Symphony
directorates will not unite the factions
whose rivalry brought the latter or
ganization into existence. There will
be, contingent of faithful Stransky-
ties housed (the leaders boxed) at
Carnegie Hall, and militant body
! of Bodanzkyites and Mengelbergians
housed (and boxed) at the Metropoli-
tan Opera House. Not artistic but So
cial ambitions will again be active fac
| tors in the campaign, which is likely to
end, as the present campaign is end
/ ing, in financial disaster. If this Is
| once recognized, why should the orches-
tral warfare be kept up? There are no
factories to 60 to ruin, no machinery
to grow rusty, no capital to be kept
idle or go to waste if the philan-
thropists should cease their philan-
thropy. 1t is doubtful if the commu-
nifty would suffer real deprivation,
for single organization, say the old
Philharmonic, maintained by it's en-
dowment fund and public patronage,
could satisfy the real demand for high
class orchestral music-always pro-
vided that normal and sane conditions
could be restored.
The. second course suggested is fea-
slble but costly, though perhaps not as
/ expensive as the symphony orehestras
have been in the late season. The
members of non-union orchestra.
since they would be outlawed by the
union, would have to be paid for a
year instead of for the seven months or
thereabouts for which their services are
requisitioned now. 1t might be locally
recruited and maintained az the Boston