RAFFLING PATRIOTIC RAFFLES.

Grey River Argus, 1 August 1940, Page 2

RAFFLING PATRIOTIC RAFFLES.

[To The Editor]. Sir.—Recently a warning was issued publicly that the disposal ol liquor by Dutch auction, raffle, er otherwise for patriotic purposes would meet with prosecution, and we have had the Mayor drawing attention to the fact that the purchase of tickets for raffles being conducted in other centres gave money to those centres that could well be kept in. this district. At the meeting of the Patriotic Committee, thp Mayor reported that an alteration was likely to give the chairman of local bodies

discretion in granting permits for raffles of under £5. All these things add to the general confusion, and the huge number of raffles being conducted on the West Coast at present calls for some better organisation than exists at the moment. Instead of the chairman of local bodies having power to grant licenses I think that the Provincial Patriotic Committee alone, should have the power to supervise the granting of all licenses. Furthermore, that Provincial Committee should take steps towards the drastic curtailment of raffles, because of the abuses which have already become apparent. One raffle in each town, not more than once a month, should be more than sufficient if proper organisation is put into effect. At present there is hopeless confusion and

some speedy remedial action seems overdue. I would like to know if any license or permit is required to enable peo•ple to raffle boogs of raffle tickets — to sell ten, and in some cases mucn more than ten tickets, on one book of ten tickets, and to raffle it? Who gets the surplus over and above the purchase price of ten tickets? Unless some satisfactory explanation is forthcoming, the best advice that can be taken by/the public is to give their spare shillings direct to the Patriotic Fund rather than through such objectionable methods as raffles, which so greatly offend the feelings of ail church-going people. I am, etc., RAFFLE JOE.