In Digest 96.12.19 Ingmar Krause wrote:

> Well, first of all, I didn't know of any government support in the
> Netherlands for mechanical music, but that could be 'cause of the
> Tradition that mechanical music -- or, more precisely, the streetorgan
> -- has gained.
>
> But anyway:  How do you come across to even think it could _not_ survive
> without support?  In my opinion that's complete nonsense; sorry.

I'm not a specialist on this topic; I only know that the Netherlands
government has put some (six ?) street-organs on a list of 'important
monuments'.  This means that these street-organs shall not be sold
outside the Netherlands, because it is recognised that they form part
of a 'national heritage'.

With the rising prices for the organs and the flow of these instrument
to 'exotic' countries like Japan and the US, a lot of people feared these
organs would not only leave their home-country, they also feared that
these instruments would in the future disappear in these countries, due
to the lack of specific know-how in maintenance for these instruments,
the unfavorable climatic circumstances, and the instruments being in the
hands of people not interested in their musical, historic value but being
wealthy collectors of 'gadgets'.

It may be that some organisations in the Netherlands -- museums, or the
like -- receive some donations from the local, regional or national
government.  But then the donations are on the same basis as for other
museums.  I do not know of any special government support for our
street-organs.

To the question of survive-or-not with or without government-support:

Sure, without any government support mechanical music instruments will
survive; maybe in a smaller quantity.  But would it not be better if,
thanks to government support, many more instruments will survive ?

I know of a small village in the French-Alps, Les Gets.  Thanks also to
the support of local, regional and national goverments they now have a
beautiful museum with a lot of instruments and a repairshop for mechanical
musical instruments.  In the local music-school they even teach the
children how to make programs [music arrangements] for these instruments.
Every two years there is a big festival with several instruments from
elsewhere.  Their activities bring a lot of people in contact with
mm-instruments and their musical performances.

Beyond that, even under these conditions the most important factor is the
people behind these activities.  For the government their donations are
also fruitful: the museum, the repair-shop and the festival create jobs
and attract tourists, etc.  And there is even a link with the past.
The mountains are known for e.g. wood-working and small mm-instruments.

Is it wrong if all this is possible, thanks to government-support ?

Wybe van der Wal

 [ Wybe's letter describes well the impact that a museum can have on
 [ the culture of the community.  Can this benefit also occur with
 [ privately-owned instruments?  Let's hear from others.  -- Robbie