Plea For More Govt Aid To Arts

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31676, 11 May 1968, Page 40

Plea For More Govt Aid To Arts

(New Zealaad Preee Auociation)

WELLINGTON, May 10.

Cultural activities would suffer unless the Government increased the contribution to the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council now that income from the Golden Kiwi Lottery had been reduced, the New Zealand Art Society said today. '

The statement was issued after a deputation yesterday when the society submitted

to the Minister of Finance (Mr Muldoon) and the Minis-

ter of Internal Affairs (Mr Seath) a recommendation that the Government consider extending exemption from income tax, gift and estate duty to those willing to make donations to visual arts.

The society said it was significant thaL in spite of financial stringencies, the British Government had increased its allocation of

funds for cultural purposes by slm for the present year, The deputation said that

increased relief from income and company tax would

stimulate sponsorship of the arts and enable an increasing share of the growing cost to be drawn from non-Govern-ment sources, with consequent relief to the Government. Mr Muldoon told the depu-

tation, comprising the president of the association (Mr R. Usmar), the vice-president (Mr J. L. Orr), and the immediate past-president (Mr R. Muston), that the proposals submitted would be considered by the Cabinet