The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-18
Plans Suggested For National
 Conservatory

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 now going on for a national eonserva- tory of music. The following appeared 1 in the last issue of Musical America for which he is the local correspondent The agitation now going on for a great national conservatory of music emphasizes the need for such an insti- tuition. However, there is one big troublesome question associated with it and that is the matter of government control
 Government control of human en- deayor is not a shining success in the United States. Too much it opens the way for politics. When it comes to the matter of music, it is also only too well known that few members of the federal government have any knowledge or understanding of music and it's needs.
 We must face a condition here in the United States and not a theory. The fact that some of the older countries of Europe and the new republics of South l America have eonservatories supported lby their governments does not mean that the same thing is practical in this country. In the United States, fed eral, state and municipal governments have taken very little account of music, and I am afraid if we wait until the national government is educated, hike South American and European gov ernments. so that it puts music on the same plane as they do, our much wished for national conservatory will be an accomplished fact until long after every living soul is in his grave. believe there is a way of accom- Iplishing the desired end quickly. or at l least the founding of q national con- servatory may be accomplished as soon as the necessary machinery can be put into operation. The plan am going to suggest would be free from politics, 1 free from possible bureaucratic graft, free from the necessity of winning the support of a goodly portion of provin- eial congressman, free from the neces- sity of fighting even cultured congress- men who may think there are more urgent calls than music for government appropriations, desirable as appropria- tions for music might be.
 The plan is this: Let the musical people of the United States build this great national conservatory. All that l is needed is the machinery for reach- ing every nook and corner of the coun- try and enlisting the interest and financial help of every person who be- lieves in building up this nation l musically until it is in very truth the musical center of the world.
 Some will say at once that the crea- tion of this machinery would be a la bor of years It would. But 1 be- lieve we already have it. Organiza- tion is needed to put oyer any great project, and if the project is national 4 in scope, not only must there be cen tral organization, but also organizations in every state with ramifications in each of the larger municipalities. I am sure it is hardly necessary for me to name the organization have in mind for the founding of a National Conservatory. It is the National Fed eration of Music clubs, reaching down through the state federatiOns to nearly every music club in the country, which units include most of the musical peo- pie of the United States, through this already created machinery, could soon found the national conservatory.
 The system of the club organization with state and national federati0ns has built up an instrument capable of wield ing great power for musical good in the country. And. still greater accession of power may be looked for in the near future, for the federation has declared it's intention of going out. more system atically after the men. What better slogan for the women who mostly com pose the clubs and federations and who have achieved the splendid work of creating this vast power than bring in the men :" When the men as well as the women of America really become interested in music, this will be a musical country indeed.
 If the National Federation of Music clubs, through the various state fed- eFations. will get some kind of plan before the music clubs for the founding of a national conservatory with funds obtained through the clubs. the money will be in hand almost immediately. It is not part of my suggestion that the national conservatory be managed by the Federation of Music clubs. Rather do 1 suggest that the delegates to the next biennial convention be empowered to select commission whose business it shall be to etablih a cOnervatOry foundation and turn the management over to the officers of that foundation. Whether or not the conservatory should be once and for all provided with an endowment sufficient for it's operation or annually provided with additional funds from the outside is a matter for deliberation. But keep the national conservatory out of government con- trol. The American government is not musical and probably never will be. Let the music lovers of America, through their club organizations, handle the, matter. If by any chance the music lovers are not sufficiently inter ested, why appeal to the legislature? It is the peoples business, not the