LOTTERY SCHEME
‘ ‘ MULTIPLICATION BUREAU. ’ ’
DECISION OE .MAGISTRATE. MANAGER PEN ED. (Special to “Northern Advocate.’’) . AUCKLAND, This Day. Reserved judgment was given today by .Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., in the case of George Kennedy Elliot McLean, charged with managing a lottery known as the '‘.Multiplication Bureau. ’’ The magistrate said defendant was manager of a company called “Multiple .Systems, Ltd.” which conducted what he might call a scheme of finance. The nature of the scheme was set out in a pamphlet entitled “The Magic of -Multiplication,’’ which was put in as evidence. After summarising the scheme, the magistrate said the evidence of Professor Seagar told him that, assuming the bureau began with only one member, on completion of the Kith cycle of succession the membership would have reached many millions. The business term “commission” ns applied to moneys to be received by members was a misnomer. The money.- so promised might lie more' rightly designated privileges to be paid on the happenings of future events. 'The present f'cheme was quite unsound economically, and if extended to the whole population i( must cease for want of now members and result in a debit balance. II seemed to him that only (he first nr early members wen l likely to receive any substantial leward, and that the possibility of even the first member receiving payments amounting In fl.fiUl per annum were too remote to be worlli consideration.
'the so-railed indirect commissions and the winning of cash prizes wr i■entirely fortuitous happenings bcvond a member’s control .and dependent upon fjiiite unpredictable facts. It depended Ujion t he ever-changing circumstances of the lives and upon (he impulses of many thousands of unknown persons. He thought it was a matter of chance, and he was of opinion that the scheme was .a lotterv. Defendant was fined ]/ ;ui d costs.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NA19331018.2.67
Bibliographic details
Northern Advocate, 18 October 1933, Page 8
Word Count
302LOTTERY SCHEME Northern Advocate, 18 October 1933, Page 8
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