TRENTHAM ART UNION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 240, 4 July 1919, Page 10

TRENTHAM ART UNION

Tho tea room of Messrs. Kirkcildie and Stains on Tuesday night revealed \ busy scene. In the centre of the room were long tables, and at each side of these were seated scores of voluntary workers who wero husy opening and sorting the mail of tho last two days in connection with tho Tronthani Dominion Scholarships' Art Union. This mail consisted entirely of applications for tickets, enclosing amounts varying from one shilling to £a. There ityist have been soma thousands of letters, and when it is considered that this enormous 'batch iepresented only .two days' mail, it will be recognised what a- task is involved in owning up all lotters, writing out receipts, and recording nnd dispatching tickets to each applicant. Purchasers wlio havo written for tickets and who do not receive them for a day or two will understand the reason for any slight delay in this A large majority of the letters contained coupons clipped from the newspaper advertisements, indicating the powerful inllneneo of advertising upon tho success of this scheme. One point was very strongly illustrated in the opening of these lotters. \A great many were requests for one shilling ticket. lii each of these cases tho sender uTiulo spend lsd. for postage, and also to enclose nn envelope bearing another stamp for the return of the ticket. This represents 3d. on each of these shillings—a gain to the Government of 25 per cent, on the receipts in each oaso. When tho art union was launched a -request wa9 made to tho Government to grant free postal facilities in. its favour, but this was refused. It is obyious what a. handicap this has l>een to the cause, as there can be no doubt at all that the cost of postage deterred thousands of people from sending for tickets. Tho workers on Tuesday evening were volunteers from fho staff of Messrs. Kirkcaklie and Stains, Ltd., and tho industrious anu" methodical manner in which they discharged their duties demonstrated thai (hey were all warm supporters of this worthy object. A considerable amount of work still remains tto be done before the committee can proceed with the drawing, which has been fixed for July Si, at'the Town Hall, Wellington.