STATE LOTTERY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18025, 28 February 1933, Page 5

STATE LOTTERY

GROWING AGITATION P ABUAMENT ARY SUPPORT '' • AOTION NEXT SESSION " t : * *•— ■ 8 i - • < (Parliamentary Reporter.) WEJiLINOTON, this day. There is growing-body of opinion in ' Parliamentary circles in favor of a State lottery, and while no steps in this \ direction are premeditated at the moment, the subject is one that is likely tp be brought directly before the Government early* in next session, which will probably, commence in August. Already 30 members of the Coalition party have approved of the idea. No members of the Ministry or members of the , Opposition have yet been approached. < ■ ’ ; Those who are responsible for the presentation of the idea declare that two motives underlie their scheme. Ihe first is'ihat a-State lottery- would do ! much to increase the revenue of the • Dominion, and the second that it would diVert’much or the money—estimated-at something like £260,000 —which is sent !§ annually out of New Zealand for lottery tickets. It has been ascertained that within the last month'over £20,000 has been sent from. New Zealand to a foreign country for lottery tickets, while there is a huge sum sent weekly to Tattersals, in:' Tasmania. Much money also has teen sent to Ireland for hospital sweepsMlte'ticdwta' ,\ # .. A • M«kl a rIUQ nPP.TI

m(ade into-the -New South W ales system, which-has proved to be particularly popular there, and when the matter is placed-before the Government in. a few months’ time'.full details of the necessary machinery will accompany the piopoaal. , . The only .reason for. delaying until next session of Parliament is that it is recognised that, an effort must be made to conclude the present session, as its • continuance is having a disturbing effect , on the whole business' of -the country. Many subsidiary reasons have been prepared as arguments in favor of a State lottery, and one of these is that it -would- take . money, away from bookmtkers and .divert it into taxable chan- . nels. The * continued success of art unions, which are, it is claimed, nothing “ more or less than lotteries; is also ad- ■ vanced in favor of the State taking over this