Chaliapine appeared ct Drury Lane during the Beecham Opera Season of 1913, but, with the outbreak of war, he left for Russia and remained there from 1914-21. His first reappearance outside Russia after the war was at the Albert Hall in 1921 and he toured in England and America 1922-23, Recently the great singer did not appear much in public. He stated at one time, that Should his voice part would be found $1,534.41 for depreciation, in another, $4,284.88 for park expenses, and in another $155 for upkeep, bringing the total well above the $200,000 limit. If the cost of the Finance Department in dealing with the orchestra were added, and other charges, such as electricity, included, the total would be above $220,000.
"It seems to me," he continued, that the ratepayers' resolution has received very scant courtesy at the hands of the gentlemen who compile the figures.'
Mr. Stewart deferred to' the chair for a moment to ask if he were allowed to refer fo himself for a period, and was assured by the chairman that he would be stopped the moment he was out of order. He therefore continued. He described himself as a cost accountant who had dealt with large sums in his home country, and one thing cost accountants were taught, he said, was that "cost" means 100 per cent. of the cost, not a part of it. The ratepayers were entitled to know if officers of the Council could control ex penditure without the Council's knowledge. He estimated that the cost of the orchestra in 1936 was $30,000 above the official limit.
He had gone very carefully through all reports of debates on the orchestra
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.