EASTER ART UNION.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20829, 12 April 1933, Page 10

EASTER ART UNION.

ALLOCATION OF PROCEEDS. £IO,OOO FOR UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF. (FfiESS association teleqkau) WELLINGTON, April 11. The finest collection of kauri gum specimens in the world, at present owned by Mr E. O. Peat, of Titirangi, Auckland, is to be acquired by the National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum with an allocation of £3OOO from the proceeds of the Great Easter art union, announced the Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. J. A. Young), when discussing the various allocations of art union money approved by the J Government. Five separate alloca- j tions totalling £ 17,500 will be made. The trustees of the National Art J Gallery and Dominion Museum will benefit to the extent of £3OOO, and this money will be devoted to purchasing Mr Peat's collection of kauri gum, Maori curios, and other artcrafts. The object of the purchase is to retain the collection for New Zealand, as there was a distinct danger that it would go to a wealthy American museum. Actually, Mr Peat received a tempting offer from an American museum, which was prepared to pay more than the amount for which the collection was being bought by the Dominion Museum. Representatives of the American institution recently visited Auckland for the purpose of completing the deal if possible, but Mr Peat was anxious that it should not leave the country, and intimated that rather than see this happen he would be prepared to take less than the American offer. Unemployment relief organisations throughout New Zealand will benefit by £ 10,000 from another allocation of the art union proceeds. So far the Cabinet has not decided exactly in what the sum will be distributed, and it was intended to make known the details of this relief at a later date. Five children's health camp organisations are to receive a maximum of £SOO each. They are the Community Sunshine Association of Auckland, the Waikato Children s Health Camp League, the Wellington Children's Health Camp Association, and similar organisations in Christchurch and Dunedin. Central Otago gold miners prospecting associations are to receive £ISOO. This money will be applied toward the relief of unemployment. The associations are concerned in the local relief scheme, and the money will be used by recognised bodies for equipping gold prospecting parties with suitable tools and machinery. The sum of £SOO has been allocated to the United Fire Brigades Association of New Zealand. This sum will be applied toward meeting the expenses incidental to the annual conference.