The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING GISBORNE, NOVEMBER 21, 1903. CASH PRIZE CONSULTATIONS.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 1053, 21 November 1903, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING GISBORNE, NOVEMBER 21, 1903. CASH PRIZE CONSULTATIONS.

Of the thousands upon thousands who each year risk thoir few shillings or pounds in Tattorsali’s consultations, there are few who stop to think of the amount of money handled by the individual in question. Take, for instance, tho big racing event of the year in Australasia — the Melbourne Cup, run for in the early part of the present month. Tattorsall had no less than five sweeps of 100,000 subscribers at 5s and one of 100,000 at 10s on this event alone, as well as one of 100,000 on the New Zealand Cup. What docs this mean iu commission to Tattersall in one month alone ? Calculated at the rate of ten per cent, on the amount subscribed Tattorsall received no less a sum than .£12,500, and the Government’s share amounted to tho respectable total of £1915 for the dividend tax on prizes, and about £IOOO for stamp duty. During the month of November there were five sweeps of 100,000 subscribers at 5s organised, as well as one of 100,000 subscribers at 10s, representing a total of £625,000, of which amount over £21,000 went in commission. Although the New Zealand Government have adopted every conoeivablo means to stop money being sent from this colony, they havo not been very successful in doing ao, and wore the facts laid bare it would bB found that New Zealand’s quota to the three-quarters of a million subscribed during the past month was even grouter this year than on any previous occasion. This opens up the question as to whether it would not bo bettor for the Government to legalise cash consultations in New Zealand, und so keep in tho colony tho groat amount of money that is at tho present time sent to Hobart. Tho Government have in their wisdom seen fit to legalise the totalisator and take a share of the receipts, aud that being so, we cannot see what objection they could have to these consultations. They should either do away with the totalisator, or else make legal the holding of consultations.