STATE LOTTERIES

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 188, 7 May 1931, Page 8

STATE LOTTERIES

Discussion by Farmers

DIVIDED OPINIONS Quite a long discussion was aroused at the quarterly meeting of the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, last evening by- the introduction of a remit from Manawatu suggesting that State lotteries on the same system as the Queensland State lotteries should be instituted, with the whole of the proceeds going to hospital and charitable aid boards, thereby relieving the land of that charge. The remit was lost eventually by a narrow margin. Mr. O. Lynch, in moving the remit, said that other parts of the world were lunniqg lotteries in the same way and the money might just as well be kept in the country. The seconder, Mr. N. Campbell, ’did not want delegates to get the idea that they were encouraging gambling.

Mr. W. J. Polson: “Well, if a lottery is not a gamble, what is it?” The seconder continued his argument and' asked why people should subscribe to lotteries outside New Zealand and have to pay 6/6 for a 5/- ticket. A Voice: “How do you know it's 6/6?’’. To Mr. C. C. Jackson, who asked for the argument against the lotteries proposed, Mr. Polson said that in the first place it was wrong to provide revenue for purposes of any service of the State by gambling. A Delegate: “I object to the word ‘gambling.’ It's a speculation.” Mr. Polson: “Oh, it’s a gamble all right. lam not a wowser, but I don’t want to see this sort of thing get into the blood of the country. The money has to come from somewhere. Someone has got to pay. If we are proud of our institutions we can surely find some better way to get money than by such means as this.” Later, Mr. Polson said he did not think the Farmers’ Union should lend its support to such a scheme and that he would be very sorry to see such a resolution carried. After a good deal of further discussion, and after Mr. Lynch had replied, the remit was lost by nine votes to seven.