ART UNION PROCEEDS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 103, 12 April 1933, Page 7

ART UNION PROCEEDS

GREAT EASTER ALLOCATIONS. £lO,OOO FOR RELIEF PURPOSES WELLINGON. April 11. The finest collection of kauri-gum specimens in the world, at present owned by E. O. Peat, of Titirangi, Auckland, is to be acquired by the National Art Gallery aid Dominion Museum with an allocation of £3OOO from the proceeds of the Great Easter art union, announced the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. J. A. Young) when discussing the various allocations of the art union money approved by the Government. Five separate allocations, totalling £17,500, will be made. The trustees of the National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum will benefit to the extent of £3OOO, and this money will be devoted to purchasing Mr Peat’s collection of kauri-gum Maori curios aud other artcrafts. The object of the purchase is to retain the collection for New Zealand, as there was a distinct danger that it would go to a wealthy American museum. Actually Mr Peat received a tempting offer from an American museum which was prepared to pay more than the amount for which the collection is being bought by the Dominion Museum. Representatives of the American institution recently visited Auckland for the purpose of completing the deal if possible, but Mr Peat was anxious that it should not leave the country and intimated that, rather than see this happen, he would be prepared to take less than the American offer. Unemployment relief organisations throughout New Zealand will benefit to the extent of £lO,OOO from another allocation of the art union proceeds. So far Cabinet has not decided exactly in what manner the sum will be distributed, and it is intended to make known the details of this relief at a later date. Five children’s health camp organisations are to receive a maximum of £5OO each. They are: The Community Sunshine Association, of Auckland, the Waikato Children’s Health Camp League, the Wellington Children’s Health Camp Association and similar organisations in Christchurch and Dunedin. Central Otago gold-miners’ prospecting associations are to receive £l5OO. This money will be applied toward the relief of unemployment. The associations are concerned in a local relief scheme, and the money will be used by the recognised bodies for equipping gold-prospecting parties with suitable tools and machinery. A sum of £5OO has been allocated to the United Fite Brigades Association of New Zealand. This sum will be applied toward meeting expenses incidental to the annual conference.