STATE LOTTERY

Hokitika Guardian, 2 December 1930, Page 3

STATE LOTTERY

MOVES I|f NEW SOUTH WALES. STRATEGY OF MR LANG. , SYDNEY, November 20, The expectation that the New South i Wales Government will establish a State lottery and so follow the example of Queensland, hangs partly on the proceedinfgs last week at a meeting of. ..the Australian Loan Council. , When he was last in power the Premier of the State (Mr Lang) thwarted all moves to establish a lottery, even though the- of the members of his fcariyi.-ytere in favour of it, and in; sou|f -quarters greqt surprise has been expressed when he does not deny the rumours that a lottery would be established,... Labour has always been inclined, •to 1 favour tbe i lottery plan as a means of raising money,, but when pressure was last put upon Mr Lang he is reported; to have plied: “While there js a .Labour Government in' Tasmania, and in - Queensland there will be no State lottery ,in New Siouth. Wales.” In those days (1925-27) the Bruce'r Page Government had been m power for. maniy. years, and as it seemed strbhf'ly" eiitrenche'd Trr the Federal Parlianierit j' there -was a strong tie between, the Labour States. When the Premiers • met“ as they did on oc- ' a radons, Mr Lyons, who wat Premier of Tasmania and is now Federal Treasurer, never failed to point out how Tasmania benefited from the conduct of a certain “consultation,” and Mr Lang was sympathetic tb a fellow atibstlb of Labour!. But now'/the paths of -Mr- Lang and iMr : Lyons, have diverged ttn .'the" ■ : question of . Australia’s' loan policy. '.More, than that, j Mr .Lyons:..gave no-'help to. Mr Lang’s , Party, . during: the recent New South Wiles election.. .In those days, too, there was a Labour, Government in Queensland j and Queensland it' was knowni was drawing heavily on New South Wales for the success of its Golden . Casket Art Union ; for the hospitals. MONEY FOR HOSPITALS. I Now a National Government has control in Queensland, so Mr Lang lias no further interest in that State. He is not that sort of a Labour man; h e is not a statesman in the national sense of the term. He can see a chapce, of racing some money—easy moneys-, and lie is not likely to worry whether it .will hit any other State. The idea is to use the money for the hospitals' which' arfe in a very -impoverished "state; Mr Lang is certain to have the -support of a majority of the Party, but he will be unable to get the measure past the Legislative Counci 1 | unless he crams it with Labour seeretaries and .other Labour stalwarts, including his mother-in-law, as he proposes t-o do. . , • ......

It is estimated .that about 40 per cent, (about £BO,OOO annually) of the money received by the Queensland Golden Gasket has come from New Sb'uth Wales. Probably a greater amount goes to Tasmania. If New South Wales decides upon a lottery it seems ciertain that Victoria, for its own protection will do likewise. The idea has already been discussed, but the Cabinet has not made a decision. It looks as if its hand will be forced.