TRENTHAM ART UNION.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 July 1919, Page 2

TRENTHAM ART UNION.

The ,tea room of Messrs Kilealdie and Stains, in Wellington, on Tuesday night revealed a busy scene when the press representative looked in about nine o'clock. In the centre of the room were long tables, and at each side of these were seated scores of voluntary workers, who were strenuously occupied in opening and sorting the mail of the last two days in connection with the Trentham Dominion Scholarships Art Union. This mail consisted entirely of applications for tickets, enclosing amounts varying from one shilling to five pounds. There must have been some thousands of letters, and when it is considered that this enormous batch represented only two days' mail, it will be recognised what a task is involved in opening up all letters, writing out receipts, and recording and dispatching tickets to each apprtcant. Purchasers who have written for tickets and who do not receive them for a day or two will now understand the reason for any slight delay in this respect. A large majority of the letters contained coupons clipped from the newspaper advertisements, indicating the powerful influence of advertising upon the success of this scheme. One letter, by the way, came from the bell-ringer of the late Queen of England. Many of the others were from soldiers and soldiers' relatives, and good wishes for the success of the scheme on behalf of the soldiers' children were plentiful. One point was very strongly illustrated in the opening of these letters. A great many were requests for one shilling ticket In each of these cases the sender had to spend ljd for postage and also to enclose an envelope bearing another ljd 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 euchcase. When the art union was launched a request was made to the. Government to grant free postal facilities in its favor, but tliis was refused. It is obvious what a handicap this has been to the-cause, as there can be 110 doubt at all that the cost of postage deterred thousands of people from sending for tickets. The workers ,on Tuesday evening wore volunteers from: the staff of Messrs Kirk? caldie and , Stants, : Ltd., and ■ the industrious and methodical manner in which they discharged their duties demonstrated that they were all warm supporters of this worthy object, .v

A considerable amount of Work still remains to be done before the committee can proceed to the drawing, which has been fixed for July 31, at the Town Hall, Wellington. ;