BANK OF PATRIOTISM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17324, 25 May 1918, Page 10

BANK OF PATRIOTISM

OPENING CEREMONY.. The keen interest iiwnlested 111 tho Bank of 1 iitriousm was limy exejiipiiiieu yesterday aitemoo.ii, wnen mo <~jx.iLiiig look piaco in UiL* prefceLieo 01 a aoseinuuge. Iho Umk, which has been erected at the X'Ouiiiaai. altuougu nut an unposiuir structure, is ja neat euiucu, and is eminently suitaLWo tor tile purpuso lor whicii it lias been constructed. t "'Vi I3 ' m " the Mayor (Mr J. J. ClarkJ addressed tlioee assembled. lie •vaid lie nad been iiskeu by tile coiiuniiu.e til charge 01 the X-'auiotic .bank torinatly to declare tho institut.oll open. Xhe cuorc tiiat was being maoo to raise money was on behalt ot tn© Women s i'atr.otic Association, which had been working in our inidst almost since the outbreak 01 war. As a matter of tact, witliin tnrec days utter the decollation ot war steps were taken by a blind of solf-sacr,ficing women to toriii what i 9-. iuia.uely aeveiep.ll mto the Women s Association. Iliey had done mugmiieeat work tor our sold'iers, but 11s time went on Uuy experienced a uitliculty in finding sufficient money to carry on. lie hoped the bank would bo a, spit-nthd sutcoas, and that tho result would put the association 011 a sound tooting. The moiuy was wanted to l elp the men who were lighting, suffenng, and dying lor us. lie declared tho bank otkii lor business. ilia Worship, amid appiause, then presented the lirst draft. ilie sl.des were promptly pushed up, and the four tellers were kepi marking dialts as tliey wei\ piesenicd. L T p to tile time of closing— tj.in., seveiai prizes Uau been clainiod. .V/to o Ltacr i&j,o'lo tickets, or dralts, have ueen printed and nuiubered lrom ZSX to <iao,2su. In oon.'iccnon v>.ih the scneine tb.re are tnree oou.amttees. 'ine lirst is under the supervision oi ilr Arthur liarnett, and it uas mace up the books, eacn oi wh.cn contains ciJ t.vkets, into parcels of five—that is ICO tickets. These ixxiks a '° tiot ncmbored consecutively, but are spread from the lower to the higher numbers. The parcels have been d.stribuud among fellers in dilierent parts of the city and throughout Otago. Ttie second committee, which undertook the numbering of the 250 prizes, was under the supervision oi Mr W. Hayward. The third committee consisted of tlie Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark), Mr G. W. M'lntosh (manager of the National Bank), Mr C. Speiglit, and Mr y E. C- Reid. T'nis committee drew the prizes. A duplicate list of the winning numbers was made by this committee. One copy has been lodged, along witli the uraw.ii d papeia, fri -National ijank, in a sealed envelope, lhe otlier copy was handed to Mr W. XI. i'Vrens, wno is the ou.y man who now krows the winning numbers. 'iXie lour members of committee who drew the prizes have no list, and cannot be expected to have remembered the winning numbers. As a further safeguard and guarantee of fairness Mr Ferens, although he knows the winning numbers, does not know what the corresponding prizes are. In other words, although he knows that b particular droit has won a prize Ue has no means of knowing whether it is the first or tho last prize. At the bank there are four tellers. Tiokets numbered up to 60,000 aro presented to No. 1 teller, to 100,000 to No. 2, to 170,000 to No. 3, and to 250,250 to No. 4; this method being adopted to pievent confusion. When the drafts are presented they are stamped with the word " presented," and if a prize has been drawn a sealed envelope containing the ticket with the number of the prize is handed to tho lucky holder. Although the holder lw this time knows tho number of the prize he has drawn ho is unaware whether it is tho first or the 250 th prize, until he has presented it at the shop in George street, where the prizes are displayed. All possible has been done to ensure everything in connection with tho drawing being above suspicion. Tickets have been sold freely, and several prizes have already been won. Holders would be wise to retain their tickets, as it has been suggested that a substantial prize may be subsequently balloted for as a consolation prize. This, however, is a matter that lias not yet been considered by the committee. The public is warned against purchasing drafts which have been stamped as " Presented." There were a few cases last night of boys selling drafts thus stamped to unsuspecting individuals. K ank will be open to-day from 2 to 4.30 p.m., and from 7.15 to 9.30 p.m.