SWEEPS AND LOTTERIES,

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 52, 14 October 1884, Page 3

SWEEPS AND LOTTERIES,

TO THS KDITOE OF THB BTA.B. . Bo,— ln my last letter oh the above •übjiet I threw out the suggestion of legalising lotteries in order to protect the , : public against frauds, to prevent a departure of capital to other countries and create a. revenue for our colony. In the tl .i followinff remark* I think I will be able .» to show that this can be done without any expanse to the Government and in a very simple manner. . Thq local clerks of court • mm! the local constables would be all the . official machinery required. Any person ... m wishing to get up a lottery, ia the form of r m sweep, art-union, or raffle, should be allowed to do so on obtaining a license foot the -nearest clerk of -court, such lieease to be issued on payment of a fee 1 and simultaneously depositing a bona fide '•♦cwity for carrying out the lottery acrwding to law. The scale of fees should : .'. lie simply a certain per cent, (say five) on tlb* amount proposed to be subscribed by ! tL'» lottery ? the security either a cheque $ j that amount, guaranteed by a bank * tT a bond' issued by the promoter and lifted by two good sureties, said cheque c* bond to beheld by the clerk of court ' i '. such time as the constablo had endorsed the license with a report that he : ■ ! had beenpresent at the drawing and seen conducted in a fair and honest way. H * fraud was attempted or perpetrated the security should be confiscated and realized for the benefit of the subscribers and the Crown, and the promoter proceeded against criminally. The Act should also fix the commission the promoter was en- . titled to put of the subscription mnnoy, *o that no unduo ad\ antage could be taken of the subscribers in that direction. In lotteries in form of a raffle of an article or articles the amount subscribed for should not exceed the fair value of said artiele or articles more than by the expeuse of getting up the raffle. Bv the node of procedure suggested above the following points would be gaiued.:An easily and inexpensively gathered tax, perfect security, against fraud or loss through fraud, local circulation of money, and retention o^f. much . capital in the 1 * '" Colony. I shall with, some curiosity watch for thelParliamentary returns proposed to be brought before the House with respect to money sent through the nail for sweeps, and I hope your readers willdo the same. I have no doubt said returns will «how that 5 per cent, on the amount thus invested would constitute a Tery significant item towards the general revenue. — I am, &c. LIBEETT.