The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 1926. LEGALISED LOTTERIES.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 March 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 1926. LEGALISED LOTTERIES.

The absurdity of tho law —or of its administration- in regard to art unions is illustrated by tbe prosecution of two persons for promoting a lottery in which the prizes included a piano and a Igramoplxine. These instruments were declared by the Minister of Internal Affairs to be outside the definition of works of art, ’though the phrase might he made, with little straining of its .meaning, to cover them. Yet the same Minister has no compunction about his action in making the words “mineral specimens” cover an accumulation of gold dust which is used as a legal cloak for lotteries prizes, says the “X./. Herald.” By offering thousands of pounds in fantastic quibble tho department .has decided that alluvial gold, l»eing in its natural state, constitutes mineral specimens and has sanctioned tho operation of lotteries in which no pretence is made that tho prizes are either works of art or mineral specimens; they are frankly described as cash prizes, and it is notorious that owing to the difficulty of obtaining the gold dust necessary to satisfy the department’s easy conscience. winners of these prizes have been able to sell their “mineral specimens” at handsome 'pijemiums. There can he little doubt regarding the meaning of the law; the weakness lies in its administration, for it is only during the last' few years that such lotteries have been sanetinned. though tbe law has not been altered since it was enacted in 1881. The purpose of Parliament then was to prevent exactly the form of abu.so that Mr Bollard lias so lavishly encouraged. During the debates on the bill, one speaker emphasised tbe need for caution in permitting art unions because “the persons who won such things frequently had the option of taking a sum of money in lieu of a work of art.’’ ruder Mr Bollard’s interpretation, there is no question of an option; he virtually insists that the prizes shall he in such a form that the winners must immediately convert them into cash. Since a law that- lias served very well for over •10 years has thus hcen brought into contempt.. Parliament must undertake its translation into such a form that there cannot he any loophole for the lotteries which it was designed to forbid.