THE IRISH SWEEP.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 239, 8 October 1932, Page 10

THE IRISH SWEEP.

INTEREST ON THE WANE. BALANCE TO IRELAND. SOME REMARKABLE FIGURES. (By NELLE M. SCANLAN.) Future generations may speak of the Irish sweep bubble. Its rapid rise to fame and financial magnitude has been without parallel. The millions sent to Dublin for the Derby, £4,184,485, may be regarded as high-water mark. To-day within a week or two of the closing of the next sweep, there is definite evidence of a decline. To this several reasons may be regarded as contributory.

j The first sweep was at the beginning of the depression in its acute form, and many tried a desperate throw with fortune, in order to redeem their position. Some saved from the dole in order to buy it. One feature of singular interest has been the number of poor people among the winners. It is quite evident that buying tickets is not a prerogative of the rich. Some are content with a 2/6 or even a 1/ share. Others send £5 and £50 for the purchase of tickets. There have been six sweeps, and those who have invested every time, and have not yet drawn a prize of any sort, are losing heart. They have lost faith in their luck. They are thinking regretfully of the pounds they have sent to Ireland for—nothing. Falling-off in Sales. Even in Ireland itself, interest is waning. One person who has each time sold many books among-the Irish, told me that he could scarcely sell a ticket now. "All the prizes go to England," they say. Another injustice. And in England there is A very definite falling•off in the sales of tickets. I hear that in view of this, it is likely that the closing date may be • extended.

As a rule a person taking a ticket in the sweep is not specially interested in the object designed for benefit. His first concern is winning something himself. That some proportion of the sweep nioney benefited the Irish hospitals was a matter for commendation. Now that Mr. de Valera has revived much of the old bitterness, and stirred up bad feeling by his political attitude, Ireland has forfeited some of that growing good will that was so pleasant a feature of the Cosgrave administration. When Mr. de Valera decided to take a proportion of the sweep nioney for the Government, apart from the revenue stamp duty, it gave rise to disquiet on both sides of the Channel. A more recent suggestion by the Irishmen, returned triumphant from the Olympic Gaines at California, that the sweep should be used to build a marvellous' stadium for the future Olympic Games, indicates that after the hospitals are supplied, the sweep will be a source of financing many ambitions.

An analysis of the sweep figures has just been published, and it may do some, thing to wake up the English to the fact that in addition to the heavy English taxation, which they are compelled tc pay, they are voluntarily contributing a large sum to the Irish Exchequer. What Ireland Gets. Out of nearly £18,000,000 subscribed for the six Irish sweepstakes already drawn, £13,285,000 came from Great Britain. So far they have received back in prizes and the commissions paid for selling tickets £7,085,000. The balance in Ireland's favour is £6,200,000. In each of the' last three sweepstakes, far more money has gone to Ireland than the Irish Government owes Great Britain over the disputed annuities. In the Derby sweep alone the British purchasers sent £3,785,000 to Ireland, a sum £2,000,000 more than the annuity payment withheld by Mr. de Valera. The Free State now takes 7Jd out of each 2/6 allotted to the hospitals. In addition, another 7Ad goes on revenue stamp duty. So that every buyer of a 10/ ticket pays 1/3 to the Free State Government.

Tickets for the Cesarewitch sweep do not mention the fact that the Free State is now taking a proportion of the 'money. They merely state that 75 per cent will be distributed in prize money after deducting administrative and other expenses, and the balance of 25 per cent will be paid to the hospitals. The expenses of the clraw for the Derby sweep were £291,812.