SWEEPS PAYING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18528, 15 October 1934, Page 5

SWEEPS PAYING

LOST IRISH TAXfeS £33,000,006 FROM TICKETS MANY LIVE ON PROFITS DUBLIN, Aug. 26. Thousands of people in the Irish Free State—amt Most of all in Dublin —are paying their Way solely through the agency of the Irish sweepstakes. , Were, it not for the sweep they would find it impossible to withstand the trade havoc caused by the economic War With England and the general policy of the Government. The position is so astonishing that if needs emphasis. The Free State is benefiting to the extent of more than £3,500.C(X) from the enterprise every yhar. Which is equal to more thari £1 for every inhabitant. If tliis money ceased to be available the consequences would be extremely serious. “The success of the sweepstakes,’’ remarked ofte observer to-day, “supplies the real answer to the apparent prosperity of Dublin, which has puzzled so many people. The sweep expenditure has made amends for the trade lost in other directions.”' ANALYSIS OF FIGURES

An analysis of the figures for the 12 sweeps which have been held in the past four years gives the following important results:— The amount of money subscribed comes to a total of £33,946.507. The amount paid back in prizes was £22,184,166. While this, averaged over the four years, would give the Free State a sum approaching £3,COO,CCO a year, the return is now greater than At the outset. According to calculations, the Free State Government is now receiving from the sweep yearly payments of approximately 2500,003 in stamp duties And £860,0C0 for the equipment and maintenance of its county hospitals and other institutions, which in ordinary circumstances would be paid out of .rates and taxes. The voluntary hospitals are at the. same time being given £1,£00,000 yearly out of tile sweep profits, and the expenses of the organisation work out at about £BOO.OOO a year. This, gives a total for the vear of £3,666,000.

The value to the Free State of so much money at the present time cannot he over-estimated. The distribution oi it means for a very large number of neople all the difference between a steady income and poverty. No reflection, of lourse, can be cast on the sweepstakes organisation, the running of which is perfectly honest. All money received is accounted for, The only point is to indicate the benefits being derived by the community as a: whole. SECRET AGENTS

Everywhere in Dublin are sellipg agents." There are stockbrokers who are making hundreds of pounds a year as commission on the tickets they sell. There a.re very few hotel managements or staffs not engaged in receiving money for tickets. The ramifications of this business are truly astonishing, applications from every country in the world shower in daily, some of them arriving -nfely at the most unexpected places. The bans imposed by foreign nations do not appear to have much effect. No difficulty whatever seems to be experienced in getting the millions of tickets to their destinations. Elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure delivers’.

It might he supposed that there would be difficulties in regard to the United Kingdom at rinv rate. However, the obstacles are surmounted with the greatest ease. 1 nrry load after lorry load of sweep tickets in I be busy period go from Dublin, to England. FORTUNES MADE

Bulky letters containing many books of tickets still pass through the post. There are people who have heeii indicated as making small fortunes out of the traffic. Even the Free State is surprised at the ease with which the tickets and counterfoils are allowed to get through the official hatriers. The benefits of all this industry are not confined to agents, men and women clerks, and other officials, but extend to pdpermakers, printers, ami the ihany workers engaged on the elaborate decorative schemes which are a feature of each draw.

The revenue from fho sweep is now also taking the place to a large extent of the remittances formerly received from emigrants, 25,000 of whom used to leave the. Free State annually.