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Star (Christchurch), Issue 16433, 23 May 1921, Page 7

Government action is frequently illogical hut never more so than when a Taxation -Department insists on collecting revenue from the winnings in sweepstakes, while a Postal I department at the same time refuses to carry letters to the promoters of such s wee instates enclosing applications for tickets. This is at present the position of the Common weal h Governmen in regard to a certain weil-known ** sweep " (says the Melbourne “Age”). It takes the attitude that the sweep is a thing to he strictly discouraged : and at the same time it does not hesitate to take what tevenue it. can from the undertaking. It is surely high time that the Government instead of sitting on the fence in this matter decided to declare its convictions in one direction or the oi lier. Hat the Acting-Prime Minister, when the question was raised m the House of .Representatives, refused to attempt the task of explaining the Government's attitude. A member wanted to know jf the Taxation. Depart nient collected a 10 per cent tax from the promoters of the sweep—which tax was duly transmitted to Melbourne by the Postmaster-Gen-eral's Department; and if the Govern- i meat would therefore remove the anomaly castled by refusal of the Postal ; Department to carry letters to the pro- ; motors. The Acting-Prime Minister replied cautiously that he had no doubt that the Postmaster-General might find many anomalies of a similar kind. The Government could not attempt to rectify them all. e: In the meantime,” he added, “we want all the revenue we cr.n got.”