SHARES IN ART UNIONS

Taranaki Daily News, 16 August 1933, Page 9

SHARES IN ART UNIONS

MINISTER EXPLAINS POLICY NEARLY THOUSAND APPLICANTS. HELP FOR POOR SHOW SOCIETIES.RET,IFF BASED ON NUMBER IDLE. By Press Association. Auckland, Aug. 15. The policy followed by the committee of Cabinet in allocating art union proceeds was explained by the Hon. J. A, Young, Minister of Internal Affairs, to a deputation. He said the lists of applicants for participation in art union profits contained nearly 1000 names. He had' classified agricultural and pastoral societies as semi-official bodies performing an efficient community service.. At present many were finding it difficult to pay their way, and where their overdrafts had been guaranteed the banks were now looking to guarantors to meet the interest. Many guarantors were in a worse position than the associations themselves. He looked with favour on helping such organisations, but he had laid ’it down ’that no assistance should be given for building up reserves or creating new assets. A new phase had developed with demands for assistance from , social relief organisations. Such applications had streamed in, and in the -winter such claims could not be ignored. The sum of £30,000 had been devoted to relief from the past three art unions. The basis of such grants was the most , recent return of unemployment registrations. Some applications for shares in tho profits had no merit, including some forms of sport where tire patrons drove, up in £lOOO cars. If such sports could not get funds from their adherents they were not the sort of. organisations to he helped from art union proceeds at the present Gime.