STATE LOTTERY

Hokitika Guardian, 28 March 1929, Page 3

STATE LOTTERY

HELPING THE HOSPITALS. SYDNEY, March 21. The question of a State lottery as a means of getting th<» hospitals out of their financial troubles, and along the lines of the Stato-controiled “Golden Casket” in Queensland, has once again been raised in New South Wales, this time under the Hospital Bill, and by v one of the Government supporters, but ■ the Ministry' Will have, none of it. Its > objection/of course, is that such a scheme would encourage gambling. Looked at and apartjfrom' the merits or demerits of a lottery, the whole thing-'is rather a farce. The Government wants' to discourage gambling which, it already legalises, and in respect to which it sees to it that it gets its fair cut. It countenances gambling, for example, on the racecourse by {iVirviding Special trains and trams and totalisators for punters, women as well as men. Again, there is just as much starting price bet Ling in Sydney as there was before a ban was put on shop wagering. Then there are. hospital art unions, tickets' for which are flaunted in the face of the public every day and in every .way. The Government, it is true, proposed,‘under its new legislation, to exercise more control over these devices,'Tiut since it lias placed upon them the imprimatur of its approval, the question is asked why it does not legalise this form of speculation on a larger scale, and under a State-controlled and owned lottery retain for New South Wales and- the hospitals countless thousands of pounds now going out of the State and into similar schemes in other States. A vote of Parliament on non-Party lines would probably indicate that, on the question of a State lottery for hospitals,; the -Government was out of alignment with general political as well a.s public feeling, since gambling is already a recognised institution.