ART UNION REFUSED

Evening Star, Issue 21515, 13 September 1933, Page 2

ART UNION REFUSED

UNSUCCESSFUL BUSINESS PROPOSITION IPs* United Press Association,] CHRISTCHURCH, September 12. The Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. J, A. Young) to-day refused a request made on behalf of the City Council and the Monica Park trustees for permission to hold an art union to clear off the indebtedness on the ground. Monica Park was formerly the headquarters of League football, but the League abandoned the ground last season and now the trustees derive a reduced income from it. Last night the City Council had before it an offer from the trustees to hand over the park to the city free of liability provided permission could be obtained for the holding of an art union. The amount of the indebtedness is £II,OOO. Two deputations waited on the Minister to-day. The first, a deputation of city councillors, met the Minister in private, and then a deputation from the Social Council of Churches, led by Bishop West-Watson, urged the Minister not to grant an art union on general anti-gambling grounds. Mr Young said he had come to the conclusion that there were no grounds to warrant an art union. The park was originally bought by a syndicate for business reasons. It had not been successful as a business proposition. Had it been he did not think they would have heard anything about an art union. Mr Young said he agreed with the deputation that gambling was anti-social, but he had to administer the law as he found it.