Aprit 15.
Mr, Robert L, Stewart laid about him right manfully in the debate on the future of the Municipal Orchestra, during the annual meet~ ing of ratepayers on Wednesday, and it must have been splendid hearing. Unfortunately in cold print it does of have quite the same effect. The speaker dealt with something which he politely called "the Music Monopoly of Shanghai." Obviously the impoliter tersinology would have substituted "racket" for monopoly." This he said consisted of a very small group of ruthless politicians (who) have constituted themselves the sole dictators of what music we shall have and what the Council shall pay it, so that the profits to them shall be all that the tragic will bear, Many people are mere tools of this ring, but are absolutely oblivious of it." Much later in his address Mr. Stewart emphasized his contention in the following passage "This perhaps is the most convincing confirmation that I could have of my position that the Orchestra is run by a lawless Musical Monopoly, whose disregard of the wishes of the public and the Council are so flagrant as to constitute a first class municipal scandal." Shades of Chicago and New York! There seems in Mr, Stewart's eyes to have been a conspiracy amongst the Council officials to hide away additional expenditure on behalf of the Orchestra, while there is even some doubt as to what happened to the compara~ tively small sum spent on new music, If Mr Stewart's remarks on that subject mean anything at all they convey the inference that the money might not have been so spent. probably "'so that the profits to them (the ruthless politicians) shall be all that the traffic can bear." It is perhaps just as well not to take Mr. Stewart too seriously, and, locally speaking, that would be the best course {o follow. But his charges will undoubledly obtain wider publicity than merely in Shanghai, amongst people not fully acquainted with local conditions nor the details of this almost annual controversy, This journal stated in the course of a leading article on the subject of the Orchestra, last Tuesday, that the wages paid the musicians ranged from a minimum of $250 to a maximum of $365. Supposing all the musicians were paid the minimum salary, the cost for a year would be $141,000. The appropriation for the Orchestra during 1930 is fixed at $184,500, Not all the musicians are paid the minimum, and the conductor's remuneration is not taken into account in this calculation, but it can easily be seen that the '$43,500 difference between the estimate and the' amount necessary to pay minimunt salaries, has still considerably to be reduced, with the result that the profits to the Mruth= less politicians" constituting the Music Monopoly are so small that it is worth no one's while to endeavour to "muscle in." As th farmer remarked on secing a giraite for the first time: "There ain't no such animal." 'Phe facts are that an enthusiastic body of music lovers, and others who realize that life cannot be sustained by dry bread alone, sufficiently believe in their cause to attend ratepayers' meetings in strength adequate 10 carry their paint, whereas their opponents do not. The result is that the ratepayers in meeting decide by a large majority that the Council shall continue to maintain the orchestra. It is, therefore, not thi politi which thwarts Mr. Stewart and of the will ofa small clique of
those who think like him, but these latters' Tuck of sufficient energy or enthusiasm to secure a majority at the meeting. very well be that the music-loving contingent do not represent the majority of the rite-payers, but so long as they ary able to swing 'a meeting in the manner they did on W: day they must be held to represent the number of ratepayers who feel keenly enough about the matter to make their opinion felt tone way or the other, That is all here is to it, and the dramatic picture of Shanghai being. dominated by a gang of musical thugs must be dissipated.
It is a great pity. Disappointment will be felt by the lovers of the sensational that there is no local Best Croker, addicted to sweet sounds, who, at intervals when he is not indulging in all manner of evil machinati draws the tiddle from its case, and, tucking beneath his chin, conjures melodies to soothe
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.