TO AID SCHOOL FUNDS

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20978, 5 October 1933, Page 8

TO AID SCHOOL FUNDS

APPROVAL OF EUCHREPARTIES SOUGHT DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS [From Oux* Parliamentary Reporter.!) WELLINGTON, October 4. A request to the Government to permit the passage through the House of Representatives this session of the School Committees Facilities Bill, which legalises prize euchre parties and other card tournaments held with the object of raising funds for schools, was made by a deputation which waited upon the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes) and the Minister for Justice (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe) this evening. Under the bill it is lawful for any school committee, home and school association, or parents' association, upon receiving a permit from the Minister for Justice, to conduct such games as euchre, five hundred, whist, cribbage, or bridge for raising money. The provisions of the Gaming Act, under which prize euchre parties are now illegal, are not to apply to any games played under a permit issued by the Minister.

The deputation was introduced by Mr R. McKeen, M.P., who has charge of the bill. He said that prize euchre parties held in the past had enabled substantial improvements to be effected to school grounds, and in some cases the money raised had been spent in providing food and clothes for children whose parents were in straitened circumstances. Mr McKeen said he had interviewed every member of the House, and all had signified their intention to vote for the bill with the exception of two, who had stated that they would not speak or vote against it. If facilities were provided by the Government it should be "possible for the bill to pass through the House in less than spokesmen for the deputation were Mr F. W. Ongley, Mr W. B. Bradley, Mr W. Hickson, and the Rev. Father Fletcher. The interests represented were school committees, headmasters, and parents. In reply, the Prime Minister said he would be pleased to go into the matter with his colleagues to see what could be done to give relief to the school committees, whose work, lie said, was deserving of every encouragement. Mr-R. Semple, M.P.: In the meantime, could the Minister for Justice advise the police to keep out of the picture? (Laughter.) The Minister: It is only fair to say that the police have been very sympathetic. The trouble was, we found that certain persons were running euchre parties for their own profit. ________