ART UNIONS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 270, 20 August 1925, Page 8

ART UNIONS

“FAR TOO NUMEROUS” MINISTER TAKES A STAND An important statement bearing on the issue of permits for the holding ol art unions was made by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. R. F. Bollard) yesterday morning, when replying to a request for a permit to conduct an art union that would produce a four-figure sum in the interests of a Dominion sports body. The Minister stated that a good number of complaints had been made to him lately about the . growing number of art union permits "that ‘have been applied for to provide funds for various sports bodies, and he had decided to avail himself of the full powers vested in his office as to the conditions under which these permits for raffles would be issued in the future. It had been decided on the advice of the Crown Law Office, which he consulted, that m all future applications, except in one or two cases already under action, ro limit the value of the alluvial gold to £5OO. The Minister further stated that while many sports bodies were deservin'* of every assistance to meet their obligations in regard to the maintenance of grounds and for the development of their sport, there must be some limit placed on the number of art unions promoted. During the past twelve months the number had increased beyond the intention of the Legislature. Quoting from section 42 of the Gaming Act, 1908, the Minister went on to state: “The section provides that if any person being the owner of any painting, drawing, sculpture, or other work of art, or literature, mineral specimens, or’ mechanical models applies to the Minister of Internal Affairs for permission to dispose of the same by raffle or chance, the said Minister may, if he thinks fit, grant a license for that purpose, subject to such conditions and restrictions as he thinks fit to impose.” Referring to the clause, the Minister observed: “I pronose, as I have already stated, to limit tlie value of the alluvial gold to be raffled to £5OO. The imposition of that condition will no doubt remove a growing tendency to the promotion of art unions in the Dominion, which is getting beyond the bounds of the intention of the Legislature. It is not that I wish to restrict applications that comply with the law for the raising of funds for deserving objects, but from information that has reached me through the police, some of the art unions for which permits have been granted pay large sums to the promoters of them. That, from my reading of the Act, is pot intended to be so. I think that in view of the complaints received, it is high time that some further restrictions should be placed on these art unions, which are far too numerous. With the £5OO limit I have mentioned, all sports and charitable bodies, which in their applications comply with the law,. will get all the assistance they need. The Minister also commented on the amount expended on running, expenses in the case of some art unions in respect of which permits had been granted.