ART UNION SALES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5366, 8 June 1878, Page 3

ART UNION SALES.

TO THB EDITOR 01* THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES. ' Sib, —May.l crave space in the * columns of' your widely circulated publication for the purpose of directing attention to a nuisance which is growing , fan greater ' than a the' * undrained streets and lanes in this city.' -* The nuisance I .complain of is the practice-’of certain persons who, haying stocks legitimately unsaleable, get up art unions, and so’tempt the rich, 1 the poor,' the old, and the .young; into spending moneys' ; ; which l could'be in ;a' thousand ways more profitably invested. ■ • 1 /'■ Ido not'-meansto say that-a fairly eon* ducted.'and; jhonestlydntentioned "art union: should not once in away be patronised for particular,purposes,' such as for 'the benefit of re- r ligious and: every /charitable object; but theobjection is i to. certain ’deeply interested per/* sousn-being; aUdwed; to,- tempt.; and 1 beguile the unwary ,i lntel al [.belief 1 • that* the ■ 1 in vester: gets his pound’s worth;.for'lai ppiind (that is, the winner in those so-called [ arti unions); nay, the contrary. isi; ah ' inevitable* fesult, the investors, on, a fair average, very seldrim realise more than 10s.' fern the-'£l staked.' The ipromotev’ of ;i the .latest ; ! soheme art union states that: “ the drawing -will be conducted by a, committee' of gentlemeifholding tickets,” for the benefit ! of those* intending to spend their £l.': I would; suggest that another -committee be ;appointed,fconsisting-of gentlemen competent to.valae;and distinguish the real ijnetal from; the,; spurious,; the’: Idcarst gold from the Brummagem., mThis; suggestion, iif acted upon, will ats least .secure* the-winners a v guarantee; that :the . String;'of ; Valuables' offered on such tempting terms are worth the * yalue; placed; Upon them,; and avert the recurrence of mistakes, .of which • former prize winnerji, in.tha shape;of jewellery, have had cause to complain.—l am, ;u ; t>i i if in;;; ./•*!' ini:- -ANTI-HUMBUG, '• •