TATTERSALL'S SWEEPS.

NZ Truth, Issue 151, 9 May 1908, Page 2

TATTERSALL'S SWEEPS.

"Spreader" writes :— Mostly everyone knows what "Tattersail's Sweeps" means, most everyone m the colonies has at sometime of other invested m the lotteries promoted by the late Geo. Adams and his executors, just how many of the people one would least expect, have at times helped to bresfck the law of the land, would be easier left ' to the imagination. The name Tattersall carries no copyright. Anyone can take on the job (and the risk) of running a consultation and claiming the name of Tattersall's. The origin of the word appears to be m the surname of a great bipod stock salesman m England ; from him also we get "the right of Tattersall" and thousands of. "Tattersall's Hotels," but that's one side of the question. Taking the cant side of the question, and, for the sake of argument, admitting that gambling is an evil, and taking a ticket m a sweep a blood-thirsty crime, would it not be better to kill the evil by ingenuity than scatter it broadcast over the country by the drastic means employed m the present Gaming Act ? At the time Sydney was the headquarters for the big consultations, Sydney was fairly free from the smaller fry, no one with any common sense would take a chance m a risky unknown sort of sweep when the larger and seemingly fairer drawing was so easily accessible. At the present time "Tatt's" is a urime m Sydney, consequently the city is» alive with small sweep promoters of the shilling and even sixpenny variety You come across him m every class of the community from the little 6d bloke to the pub boots ; the implicit faith the subscribers have m the generality of these promoters is food for a starving mind to reflect upon. Now, m New Zealand it may naturally be inferred that sweeps of the smaller or insect order are m existence. So they are, and so they always will be, but what is of more consequence to J. J. North and Coy. is the fact that they are on the increase. Why ? Because a seriocomic piece of Parliamentary buffoonery does not admit of the charities of the Dominion running one or other m their own interests and thus concentrating the evil m a fixed place, and helping: to assist the halt, the sick and the lame, also hecause the very main fact exists that the poor man wants his little gamble and will have it, and what's more, m spite of all arguments to the contrary, is as much entitled to it as any country is to a Stock Exchange or State Insurance office, or Bank. The masses want shaking up to their own interests now that the elections are m view again. It wants a campaign started for the protection of sport and the upheaval of the blundering busvbodies who are interfering m a mhtter "they don't understand the first part about. Do this class of people think, they have stopped street-betting ? Are they that ignorant that they think they ever will ? As regards stopping the Post Office from carrying letters to Tasmania, it only opens up new fields for subterfuges, ingratiates more men into the "street-corner" style of sub-agencies, and materially increases the small, unscrupulous local sweep. Put the question to every male adult at election time— Arc you m favor of running a New Zealand sweep on the big racing events, the net proceeds to be divided among the hospitals and benevolent institutions of the Dominion ? and if the matter is brought before them m a sensible light ancl with plenty energy, they'd vote 75 per cent.

"Yes," or this scribe is a poor judge. Gambling was m existence 8.C., it's going strong to-day m every class of life, and will continue ad lib. Some people take their pleasure sadly. A Chinaman finds enjoyment m sitting fof two or three days on tne graves of his ancestors, an Australian aborigine m dancing a corrobboree, and a parson m preaching a sermon to a fashionable congregation, that receives a favorable notice m the daily press. Many men's occupations m life and ambitions are a constant source of pleasure, but .the constant toil of a factory, or the deadening monotony of pick and shovel work render it neces-. sary for the mind to have some exhilaraing influences worked upon it after working hours, and nothing gives such a stimulus to the mind and body as a small discriminate gamble. There are millions of shapes and forms of gambling, the majority known under different names, but they all are the same thing m the end, so why so much humbug ? Why not regulate and purify the most popuur forms of gambling, and let as at least he honest to ourselves.