A GROSS EXAGGERATION.

Evening Star, Issue 12926, 24 September 1906, Page 2

A GROSS EXAGGERATION.

TO THE EDITOB. Sir, —In the course of his reply to the anti-gambling deputation that waited upon him recently, Sir Joseph Ward is reported ; as follows: —" Since bis return to the colony ■ a gentleman, who was not with the deputation, had brought under his notice the fact ;' that no less a sum than £2,100,000 was sent . out from Wellington alone last year for gambling purposes. That was a larger sum , than either he or anyone else had contemplated as being possib'e. But that statement came from a gentleman who was in a position to form a fairly accurate estimate pi what was going on in this respect." It ; ■will be noticed that, the Premier made it quite clear that he disclaimed responsibility for this ridiculous statement, and even hinted his disbelief in the correctness of his ■ informant's figures, as well he might. Yet according to th© ' Outlook,' the Presbytery I of Wellington, at a meeting on Septembtir 11, not prdy accepted the figures without :■. question, but actually made it appear that " Sir Joseph himself was guilty of the aby surdity. From the ' Outlook :—" Rev. .]. J.- : Gibb, D.D., movedi Rev. W. Sbirer seconded, and it was agreed—'That in view . of the alarming prevalence of the passion for gambling, with all its attendant evils, the Premier, having recently called attention to the appalling fact that no less a sum ihan £2,100,000 was sent out of Wellington last year for gambling purposes, the Presbytery expresses the conviction that the Go- '■■■.'■ vernment," etc. "Appalling fact,'' mark you! Now, I 5 think it will haTdly be disputed that Tatfcerv sail's consultations receive a far larger •■' measure of New Zealand suport than any '; other gambling scheme outside the colony, v and that being so the next thing is to con■j' sider what proportion of such a large sum ; as £2,100,000 could possibly be so invested. •■■ I have before me Tattersall's "synopsis of Jbcrnres upon which we yearly promote consultations." These consultations number txventy-four. and tho total number of tickets , equals 2,000,000, at Ss a ticket—£soQ,ooo, or with stamp duty (2d on every Ss) £516,666 13s 4d. It sometimes happens that these consultations are over-subscribed, . necessitating a supplementary sweep; sometimes the prizes have to be distributed pro rata, the full number of tickets not having been applied for. It is surely a reasonable supposition that at least a dozen or two of the tickets are purchased in Australia and other parts of tho world, and that a few shillings are despatched on tho same errand from parts of New Zealand other than Wei- ■. lington. But assuming that this is not the case, and that the whole of the consultation money is "sent out of Wellington," there still remains a "surplus" of £1,583,333 6s 8d to be accounted for, and this sum would more than suffice to purchase all the tickets in the great Hamburg and half a dozen other lotteries. I think the gentleman was talking— Bunkum. September 24.