ATHLETIC TOURS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20600, 26 June 1930, Page 14

ATHLETIC TOURS.

SENDING TEAMS ABROAD.

REQUEST FOR ART UNION. A SYMPATHETIC MINISTER. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Wednesday. All branches of amateur sport were represented in a deputation which waited upon tho Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. P. A. do la Perrello, to-day to ask for permission to organise an art union for tho purpose of raising money for sending Now Zealand teams overseas to the Olympic Games and other international sports fixtures. The deputation was introduced by Mr. H. Amos, who Haid they had always experienced considerable difficulty in raising tho necessary money to send teams abroad and it was hoped by means of tho art union to raise a sufficient capital sum for tho purpose. Apart from other considerations overseas toams proved an excollent advertising medium for the Dominion.

Mr. H. F. Johnston, K.C., omphasised the great value of international gatherings. He thanked tho Government for the assistance it had given sports bodies in the past. Dr. P. F. McEvedy said an art union would make it much easior for New Zealand to send teams away in tho future. Ho stressed tho fact that the object of international gatherings was not to find super ahletes, but to promote tho physical well-being of the nations of the world. Mr. J. W. Heenan pointed to the representative character of tho deputation and said tho aim of tho Olympic Council was to do all it could to promote a spirit of understanding and friendship between tho nations. Tho Minister said he fully realised the importance of tho deputation and personally he was very sympathetic toward the request. It would bo a pleasure to him to make a favourable recommendation to the Cabinet and he did not foresee any difficulty in having tho application granted.