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« " '*W* Resreeey n e e t e e e e e o S aamanmenee s Cc Oe o se cenrigid § Marech (3 f Band Bill Cultural M al Move, Explains Soldier--S xplains doldier--dponsor commmememmemmmmenmmemememem 0_,, Colonel Hunter Pleads for ; Steadier Municipal Sup-- ' port of Music as In-- ' vestment OLONEL F. FRASER * HUNTER --Toronto Liberal mem ber, veteran Indian Army offi-- cer, and well--known racon-- s ; teur--believes in the diplo-- s 35 matic hand. He used it yesterday to pilot his band pnll through second read-- ing at Queenr's Park. Fixed Money Vote. The "cultural amendment," as Col-- ; onel Hunter calls it, would provide for a steadier support of municipal music f by transferring a fixed money vote to the ratepayers. And Ontario's Legislature, Colonel | Hunter determined yesterday, should 1 w . q know Jjust what a | ** band was before | C it voted on his | i bill. It might in-- || {»z,, :z +.| clude cornets, saxo-- I P aat «iJ phones, flutes, | C . . trombones, eupho-- !| & s. © niums, and bas-- | * & soons. | E: i: "I have been as-- «l tounded," said Col-- 981 _|J onel Hunter, "by INLMY NP ______ B the opportunity of members of this + Col. Hunter. House to blow their own horns. I don't think such privi-- legeos should be confined to an honor-- able House like this." For the information of the "meticu-- lously" legal minds, a band was "a collection of various instruments pro-- ductive of music." The member for St. Patrick indulged in a moment of etymology and traced the word to be-- | yond the French. Louis XIV. had y boasted a band and so had Charles II. In the thirteenth century guilds of musicians roamed the country. History Traced. "This amendment is in line with history," said the Toronto member. "When the first Scots came to Nova f Scotia, the kilts and pipes scared away all the Indians." As for Ontario, it at current date, boasted 427 bands-- "gocd, bad, and indifferent." Further, Colonsl Hunter argued that his bill was non--partisan. '"Why," he asked, "should not the honorable mem-- ber for Kingston (Colonel T. A. Kidd) f on the 12th of July have his fife and drum band--or Scotch communities that peculiar instrument known as the bagpipe?" Humor Provoked In serious vein the Toronto member * said that his bill aimed at ensuring | _ "Could such a petition be obtained continuity in the development of local in Toronto?" he queried. bands. "A good band in any town "I could get you 10 per cent, or 20 gives great pleasure to the citizenry," per cent. of the citizens of Torgnto on * he pointed out. Admitting that a tax | : any petition you could name," said was involved, he said that it was a Hon. Harry C. Nixon, amid laughter. very small one, and it was an invest-- Wilfrid Heighington treated the ment in cultural values. It was good . measure in lighter vein and quoted to give youth something besides un-- |& bit from a Gilbert and Sullivan employment figures. opera. Arthur Ellis (Conservative, Ottawa "Would it be in order to sing it?" South) took serious issue with the bill |Said Colonel nmr." on the ground that "it was the most "Some other time," promised Mr. « _ cumbersome, involved piece of munici-- | Heighington. w pal machinery I ever heard of." A "We suffer enough in this House, j . clause requiring a petition by 10 per | Premier Hepburn observed. § cent. of the ratopayers was attacked. 'The bill now goes to committee, _