NATIONAL RELIEF WORK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21467, 15 April 1933, Page 11

NATIONAL RELIEF WORK

STEADY INCOME NEEDED TAXING ART UNION PROFITS [by TELEGRAPH —rRESS association] WELLINGTON, Thursday Ssveral problems affecting the welfare of relief workers were discussed at a conference hold to-day at the request of the New Zealand Smith Joy-spreaders. The Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, presided, and there were present representatives of local body and relief organisations in various centres. On the motion of the Smith Family a resolution was passed expressing to the Governor-General heartfelt appreciation of His Excellency's action in instituting the national relief fund. A.motion to set up a national relief council was discussed, and lost. It was decided that it was desirable that societies for the relief of distress should become incorporated. The conference endorsed the principle of taxing art union profits for raising money for the relief of distress. There v as considerable opposition. The Mayor of Lower Hutt stressed that art unions provided only a precarious method of raising money, and said the source of the funds should be as certain as taxation. The reply was made to this that the organisations had to rely on voluntary contributions, which were bv no means reliable. The original motion, that the proceeds from six consecutive art unions be used for the alleviation of distress, was lost by one vote, but an amendment, that a substantial tax be imposed on arf union profits, was carried without debate.