Continuous Sale Of Mammoth Tickets

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30762, 28 May 1965, Page 1

Continuous Sale Of Mammoth Tickets

lA'cw Zealand Press Association'

WELLINGTON, May 27. Mammoth Golden Kiwi tickets will go on continuous sale for a trial period.

The Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Seath) said today this was being done after a thorough consideration by the Government of all the issues involved.

The effects would be closely observed and the Government would then review the whole situation. Mr Seath said.

Mr Seath said the Government had concluded the demand in the recent lottery was largely artificial, because the number of lotteries in each year was known to be limited.

People rushed to buy and the pressure on agents for preferential reservations then became strong and there was considerable public dissatisfaction and disappointment. The Government felt confident the knowledge that tickets were freely and continuously available would remove these pressures without unduly stimulating demand. Mr Seath said. He said in the first full financial year of operation of the 5s Golden Kiwi lotteries—--1962-63—74 were sold.

The next year this dropped to 54, while in the year ended March 31, 1965. the figure fell to 52.

This evidence suggested a levelling-out trend was likely to be repeated with the smaller number of Mammoth lotteries, Mr Seath said. The Minister said the Government was also guided by the fact there were similar and even larger overseas lotteries. tickets for which could

Ibe obtained by New Zealanders and which led to a | dissipation of overseas funds. ■ “For instance, during the last three years in which the Golden Kiwi lotteries have been operating, it is estimated the demand for overseas lotteries has fallen by more than £2,000,000 with a consequent saving in overseas exchange.”

Mr Seath said he intended to make it a condition when approving the running of all future lotteries, that there should be no sales promotion advertising by mass publicity media, such as radio, television and the press. The Prime Minister (Mr Holyoake) was asked tonight how long the “trial period” for the continuous sale of Mammoth lottery tickets would last.

He replied: “No particular time limit has been put on the trial. It would not be sensible to put a period to it.”