“TATTERSALL’S.”

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4594, 6 August 1923, Page 1

“TATTERSALL’S.”

AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT Successive Postmaster - Generals have attempted to wriggle out of the anomalous position created .by the fact that the Commonwealth, while declaring sweepstakes to be illegal, collects money in the form of a heavy tax from winnings from Tattersail’s in Hobart. Mr Gibson had to wriggle out of it in the House of Representatives recently (reports the Age),, and he made no better fist of/t than his predecessors. Mr Blakeley asked him if it were a fact that the Commonwealth received large sums’annually in the shape of taxation from the trustees of Tattersall’s sweeps, and that his department carried documents and letters between the Taxation Department and the trustees. If so,! as the questioner adroitly put it, would he allow the same privileges to the general public, to send and receive letters,, as were enjoyed by the Taxation Department ? The Postmaster-General replied that it was a fact’ that the Commonwealth received the tax levied on Tattersall’s prizes. He was not aware that the Post office delivered any correspondence to Tattersall’s from the Taxation Department. Such correspondence was not exempt from prohibition. There was nothing to prevent the Taxation Department or the general public receiving letters from Tattersall’s. “ You are the third PostmasterGeneral who has. refused to answer that question,” declared Mr Blakeley in disgust.