The Public Band has cost the Com-inanity daring the year Tls. 40,000, and Ihave heard more criticism of this comparatively small item of expenditure than of almost any other part of the Financial Statement. Yet I venture to think that the improved public music to which the community is becoming accustomed amply ju: increase. Evidence of the of the public concerts is furnished the fact that in this hall there has not infrequently been standing room only.
On the other hand the Band is not entitled to praise only; we have had difficulty in impressing on the mtisicians that our requirements are not 'a simple orchestra for the production of classical music to be appreciated by the few. We need also popular m dance music, and military music, 3nd we trust that objections to uniform and reluctance to take the same pains with what I may call the lighter wide of their duties, on the part of the Band, will disappear daring the coming year.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.