ART UNION EXPENSES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2884, 23 September 1916, Page 8

ART UNION EXPENSES

. The scrutiny which the Minister of Internal Affairs is giving to the expenses incurred in connection with Patriotic Art v Unions is commendable. The'law Li's been stretched in respect of theso efforts with the object of providing funds for patriotic purposes and any profligate use of the money so gained in wasteful management or needless extravagance should bo discouraged. But when so much is 3aid in support of the attitude of the Minister, there is ground for some exception to be taken to his.comments on the results of the Anzac' Art Union. They are liable to be misunderstood and to create a wrong impression. Me. .Russell said the large expenditure incurred in connection with the Anzac Art Union could not be regarded as satisfactory and compared very unfavourably with that 'of other art unions. It is possible that the expenses were heavier in the case of the Anzac Art Union Hhan in some other instances known to the Minister, but before publicly reflecting on those who had the management of this particular effort for the benefit of our soldiers Mr. Russell should have taken into account the surrounding' circumstances. As explained in our news columns this morning, the expenditure was much greater than would otherwise have been the case owing to certain unforeseen contingencies. The first of these was the 'refusal of tho Postal authortics to exempt the circulars of tho Art Union Oommitteo from the Stamp War Tax. A heavy purchase of envelopes and stationery nad been made, amounting to nearly £500, in anticipation of being able to use the Post Office as a medium for getting into touch with tho public. Exemption from war tax, we are informed, had been granted in certain other cases, and the Anzac Art Union Committee had hoped for similar treatment. When it was refused tho committee found that advertising in the newspapers would be cheaper than circularising, and the envfelopes in consequence we're not used. Apparently they arc an asset 1 in hand to be credited against expenses. With tho advertising too, owing to the temporary unavoidable absence ot jMk. M'Haedy, some confusion occurred, and advertisements to the value of something like £(iOO were inserted in papers in other parts of the Dominion beyond the area permitted by the license granted by the Government. The Minister insisted on an apology being published in each of the papers in which the advertisement so appeared, and tho effect of this was largely to discount tho value of the advertising. These two items alone account for nearly £1100 of tho £-3500 expended in tho working oi the art union. When arranging to hold- the. 'art union, the . promoters appeal: to have suggested to Mr. .Russell that a, limit of 10

per cent, of the receipts should unplaced on tho expenses. Sih Joseph U'ard seems to have regarded this as reasonable, but the Minister of Internal Affairs did not approve tho idea, and so no limit was fixed. Mis. Russell, as the result of experience, now proposes that in future a limit shall be fixed, and wo think his decision in this respect a sound one. It would be regrettable indeed, however, if the impression were allowed to get abroad that the splendid efforts of Mn. M'Hardv and those associated with him in the work of raising ' funds in the interests of our soldiers, were not thoroughly appreciated. The net result of their generous prize-giving •and whole-hearted labour has been the raising of over £15,000 solely for the benefit of our soldiers—an achievement of which they may well bo proud.