THE SWEEP MANIA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 161, 10 July 1890, Page 2

THE SWEEP MANIA.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Under the above heading we are informed thab Mr Mil chelson, with his Post Office Amendment Bill, proposes to give the postal aubhoribies power to open any letters supposed to contain money for sweep tickets sent from this colony, also any lotters coming in supposed to contain tickets, and that any such enclosures shall be forfeited to the State; or, in other words, to make the postal authorities legal thieves. Are the people of this colony a lot of children, or idiots, that they are to be told what they are to do with the few pounds they manage to scrape together after paying their tradesmen's bills, and all extortions in the shape of rates, taxes, etc. ? There is noc tho slightest doubt about the thousands of pounds going out of the colony every year for sweep tickets, for every £ of which tho Postal Department only charge us Is sd. As a ticket-buyer, I think the Is 5d ought to satisfy the Government without trying to steal tho £. As a native of the country, I strongly protest against being forced to go to another colony to buy what there is no sensible reason why I should not buy here. But if our misrepressntatives at Wellington make tho gctting-up of sweeps in this colony illegal, they are simply adding gross tyranny in eaying thab I shall not spend .my spare £ in any way that I like so long as I do not injure anyone by so doing. You will find thab thera are hundreds in and about Auckland who will agree with me in this matter ; bub like a jrieat many other tyrannical laws, they will nob cry it down till too late.—l am-, etc., A Disgusted Native. [We thoroughly agree with Mr MitchelBtm that ib is an anomaly for the Post Officeof Now Zealand to assist in fostering in other colonies forms of gambling which are prohibited by law here. Under the preoenb Gaming and Lotteries Acbeuch communications are declared contraband, but the law is being sytemabically violated, and some more stringent provision is necessary. Notwithstanding our correspondent's view of bho matter, we regard bhe proposed amendment of the Posh Office Act as a most desirable one, and hope that ib will be passed this session and rigidly enforced. It is no more tyrannical to seize money under the circumstances described than to confiscate smuggled goods.—Ed. E,S.]