THOSE ART UNIONS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 288, 30 July 1932, Page 4

THOSE ART UNIONS

After a period of hesitation whieh has cost the country a definite sum in revenue, the Government has at length decided to resume the issue of permits for the larger art unions. In its attitude toward the art union question, the Qove'rnment has so far lacked the quality either of vigorous Puritanism or of robust Philistinism, but has wa vered indecisively between the opposing schools of thought which either condemn or advocate the lottery system. Quite recently it was apparently overcome by some qualms, either of conscience or of prudishness, and decided that something must be done to check the regular procession of art union permits which were monthly providing divers fortunate individuals with unexpeeted windfalls, and a tremendously larger body of their less fortunate fellows, with a temporary interest in life and the eventual prospect of contributing half-a-crown to feed the fires of hope and some more or less deserving institution or organisation. But the guardians of the public purse and the public conscience apparently could not reconcile the two, and instead of saying either "thou shalt" or "thou shalt not," merely cleared the throat preparatory to a heavy denunciation and left it at that. In the interval, *a • series of small art unions (to which, incidentally, the lottery principle still applies) were permitted to proceed, while the authorities endeavoured to decide whether they would be Pharisees or sinners. In the meantime, they failed either to correct the pernicious lottery spirit or to collect the several thousand pounds m revenue which would have been forthcoming had the larger permits been continued; a regrettable state of affairs from either point of view. However the political mind is not made up in a moment, and there is some cause for satisfaction in the fact that it has at last moved to its appointed conclusion. With the sop that the only institutions which are to benefit "are those whose funds have been depleted by the depression," the Government has now announced its intention to authorise the hotation of a further £4000 lottery. It is difficult to uiiderstand what exclusiveness attaches -to the qualification of impecuniosity in these unfortunate times, but that is merely a passing refleetion. Logically analysed, the lottery or mis-named "art union" system, is of course economically unjustifiable, but that, unfortunately, is one of the last considerations to carry any weigh" with contrary human nature. And again, logic and economics, though eminenlW worthy anc misunderstood sciences, most deplorably fail to satisfy that reprehensible human frailty which demands a trifle of excitement and anticipation at half-a-crown a ticket, even if the purchase of that ticket and the whole process of anticipation and excitement be entirely illogical and uneconomic. All flesh is grass anc unquestionably a great deal of it is very green grass. . If : the ordinary tenor of a hum-drum and rather dreary existence can be lightened by dreams of the miraculous fortune which may be announced over the wireless or blazoned from the news columns, there is something to be said for the lottery system. It is undoubtedly uneconomic to squander a succession of halfcrowns or- even an occasiona half-crown on the extremely remote possibility of a return, but it is, after all, eminently human, and must therefore be tolerated. In the meantime, since we must have art unions, it is to be hopec that the next one is won a little nearer home than Christchurch.