Money trouble hits H.A.R.T.

Press, 12 June 1978, Page 1

Money trouble hits H.A.R.T.

The Halt All Racist Tours organisation, which has campaigned' for nine years against racist sports tours and against apartheid in South Africa, is in financial difficulties.

The organisation’s fulltime leader, Mr Trevor Richards, may even have to be dismissed when his contract runs out on July 31.

“As a movement, H.A.R.T. is at the crossroads. Its task of stopping

racist tours is far from completed, yet its financial plight is such that it faces the prospect of severely curtailing its activity,” says an editorial in the organisation’s newspaper, “Amandla.” Alternatives to dismissing Mr Richards include dispensing with the national office, ending publication of “Amandla,” doing less international work, or giving less attention to work in New Zealand.

The annual meeting of H.A.R.T. will be held at Palmerston North on June 24 and 25, and will have to tackle this decision. “Nine years after the formation of H.A.R.T. the issues are still with us. The job we set out to do is far from finished. Yet this conference must face up to the prospect of H.A.R.T.’s having to downgrade its level of operation, possibly reverting to a part-time, voluntary movement,” says the editorial in the latest edition of “Amandla.” ; “Today H.A.R.T. does not have the resources to tackle all the issues before

it with the vigour it has had in the past. The principal problem is money. Inflation, especially increases in Government charges, has taken a heavy toll on our supporters’ donations. Last year, they gave us over $13,000, yet we ended the year heavily in debt.” The movement’s treasurer (Mr P. Tyler) told the last national council meeting that unless the midyear appeal produced a record return, H.A.R.T. could not continue fulltime.

"Amandla” reports that since the end of 1977 the movement’s finances “have gone steadily downhill.”

“Last year our total operation cost just on $14,000. This year, despite cuts in some areas, expenditure is running at $16,000 for the year. In addition, we have debts of almost $2OOO, most of this owed to supporters of the movement,” says the editorial. The paper has appealed to its estimated 20,000 readers to support the organisation financially so that H.A.R.T. can pay its way.