Consultations

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 40, 17 September 1889, Page 2

Consultations

The well known fact that thousands of pounds are annually sent out of this colony to Australia for investment in sweeps and consultations, has attracted attention in the House', 'and Dr Newman, who is described as " goody goody," was stupid enough to ask the Premier if he could devise some scheniG whereby the " money could be kept in the place." The Premier, in reply, hinted that the beat plan would be to confiscate the money, when the letters addressed to consultationists were in transit through the post office. Of course it was not intended that this remark should be taken seriously. We are Hot going to say anything for or against the spirit of gambling ; everybody is infected with it, the only difference being in the degree, and as men from the beginning have "stood thehasard of a die," so will they to the end of time. The best thing, it appears to us, that a paternal and judicious government can do is to make a profit out of the evil, as they do out of the drinking customs of the people, by legalising sweeps and putting a small stamp duty on the tickets. We suggested this course some years ago, and we are glad to see that our contemporary the Post now supports the idea.