, ▁in ▁Old ham ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁and ▁North am pton ▁from ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁to ▁ 1 9 0 9 . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁pre val ent ▁reasons ▁that ▁the ▁Union ▁had ▁to ▁strike ▁in ▁these ▁places ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁management ▁of ▁the at res ▁changing ▁hands , ▁the ▁new ▁management ▁reduced ▁w ages ▁or ▁s ack ed ▁those ▁that ▁were ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Union ▁and ▁this ▁led ▁to ▁strike ▁action . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁membership ▁had ▁ris en ▁to ▁over ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁stayed ▁at ▁around ▁this ▁level ▁until ▁ 1 9 0 7 . ▁The ▁issues ▁that ▁had ▁caused ▁the ▁union ▁to ▁form ▁were ▁still ▁pre val ent ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 0 0 s ; ▁there ▁were ▁too ▁many ▁mus icians ▁with ▁not ▁enough ▁jobs , ▁this ▁issue ▁was ▁ex ac erb ated ▁by ▁European ▁mus icians ▁coming ▁over ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁to ▁play . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁a ▁Blue ▁Hung arian ▁Band ▁played ▁at ▁Queen ▁Victoria ' s ▁Diam ond ▁J ub ile e , ▁the ▁Union ▁wrote ▁to ▁the ▁government ▁over ▁the ▁issue ▁and ▁the ▁outcome ▁was ▁that ▁foreign ▁mus icians ▁could ▁only ▁join ▁the ▁Union ▁if ▁they ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁resident ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁for ▁over ▁two ▁years ▁or ▁had ▁a ▁membership ▁to ▁the ▁Mus icians ' ▁Union ▁of ▁their ▁own ▁country . ▁Only ▁mus icians ▁that ▁were ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Union ▁could ▁play