TOO MANY ART UNIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19101, 20 August 1925, Page 11

TOO MANY ART UNIONS.

MINISTER APPLIES. BRAKE. LIMIT ON PRIZE , MONEY. MAXIMUM FIXED AT £500.. |BY . TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER. ] WELLINGTON. Wedneada.v "Several complaints have been made to me lately of the growing number of art unions that have been promoted to pro vide funds for this body and that body, and I have decided to exercise the full ex tent of the powers conferred on the Minis ter for Internal Affairs as to the eondi tions under which permits for these raffles should he granted in the future. It has been decided, on the advice of the Crown Law Office, which 1 sought, that in all future applications excepting in regard to one or two cases already under action, to limit tho values ol the alluvial gold to he raffled to £500." The above remeik. were made to-day by the Hon R l< Bollard in reply to a request for permit to conduct an art union to produce a four figure sum in the interests of a Nov Zealand sports body. Mr. Bollard stated that while many sports bodies were, deserving of every assistance to meet their obligations in the mainten ance of grounds and for the development of their sport, still there must bo a limit placed on the number of art unions pro moted. During the last twelve months tho number hail increased beyond the in, tention of the Legislature. "I have before me." .continued the Minister "section 42 of tho Gaming Act. 1908, which states:—'lf any person being tho owner of any painting, drawing, sculp turc, or other work of art or literature, or mineral specimens, or mechanical models, applies to the Minister for Internal Affairs for permission to dispose of the same by raffh or chance the said Ministei may, if he thinks fit, grant a license for that purpose, subject to such conditions and restrictions as ho thinks right to impose.' "I propose to limit the value of the alluvial gold to be raffled to £SOO. The imposition of that condition will no doubt tend to remove a growing tendency to tho promotion of art unions in the Dominion, which is getting beyond the bounds of the intention of the Legislature. It is nutthat I wish to restrict applications that comply with the law for the raising of funds for deserving objects, but from information that has reached mo through the police some of tho art unions for which permits have been granted pay large sums to persons for the promotion of them. That, from my reading of the Act, is not intended to be so. I think it high time, in view of the complaints received, that some further restriction should be placed on these art unions. They are far too numerous. "With the £SOO limit I have mentioned all sports and charitablo bodies which in their applications comply with the law will get all the assistance they need." In a further reference to some art unions for which permits had been granted, the Minister remarked that he was surprised at the amount expended in running expenses*