STATE LOTTERIES

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1930, Page 15

STATE LOTTERIES

DISCUSSION IN VICTORIA. EXAMPLE OF QUEENSLAND. Sydney, Aug. 14. The Victorian Government, finding it extremely difficult to make ends meet, is “biting” at a State -lottery proposal, though no member of the Labour Cabinet °has yet been brave enough to openly advocate its establishment. Any proposal for a State lottery invariably brings a protest from the churches arid other bodies anxious to preserve ths morals of the community. However, a Victorian Minister has just returned from a very exhaustive study of the Queensland State lottery, and while he does not make any recommendation to the Victorian Government he has- been unable to hide the fact that he was very favourably impressed by what was being done in tne northern State. He says that the lottery there has the support of all the political parties and that it would be practically impossible to defy public opinion and abolish it. The Victorian Minister says he is satisfied that the figures which he has presented furnish “ample food for thought, more especially to our much harassed hospital committees, who aj”o bravely carrying the major part of the burden of our hospital charities in these depressed times.’’ The Queensland Jot-, tery has been in existence for ten years and during that time £2,146,976.. Jias been paid into the fund for hospital, motherhood and child endowment purposes. The yearly, proceeds been £200,000. ‘ K-cuit '. ‘ t • . . 1.. I -

As a result of the success of the lottery the system of voluntary giving m Queensland is practically non-existent.' The income tax derived by the Government from the sale of tickets is approximately £50,000 a year, and Lie bulk of this money is provided by people who otherwise would not pay anything on account of . income, tax... The sale of tickets each- year amounts to about £1,000,000 . and Incidentally . the business pr .vidce employment fOF/ 1 na ’ fairly,large staff.- Jt;aW>qjrovideb.'.t&'a.

• Commonwealth with more than £20,000 1 a year through , the Post Office,, | ,< • New South Wales Governments have • ■ always" been e’treriuouffiy opposed • ' State lotteries;, This does'not preventJ r the people. of "New South Wales ( fro’:n. ■ having a little 'gamble.' It'ls aft amaz-J ■; ing fact that, at 'least, on.e-third’ of the ! ticlrets iri the Queensland lotteries nr,e l 1 purchased' by’ the people of New South Wales. Therefore there exists the ■Lanomalous position of New South ij')W?ioB helping fo pay for’"Queensland

hospitals. And .goodness, only knows j how- badly the 'New' South Wales’ hbs- ■ pitale need those funds. ' Atvleast* JJKOO 'jjf New Zealand money' was ’ in '.June for Queensland lottery tickets,