TATTERSALL’S SWEEP

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4547, 23 December 1930, Page 2

TATTERSALL’S SWEEP

A NEW ZEALAND MOVE. KEEPING .MONEY IN COUNTRY. Auckland, Dee. 22. A society known as the New Zealand Tattersall’s 'Sweep Club has recently been incorporated, its purpose being to petition Parliament asking that a referendum should be taken on the question of holding lotteries on the lines of Tattersall’s of Tasmania. A national campaign for members has been launched, Mr. Vivian M. Potter being the New Zealand organiser. Discussing- the matter, 'Mr. Potter said it was common knowledge that a huge sum was annually sent out of INVw Zealand for lotteries, including TattersnU's of Tasmania, the Golden Casket of Queensland, the Calcutta Sweepy and others hold in the Argentine, France, Spain, and Ireland. The object of the club was to submit to the people a lottery proposal, and so give them a chance of saying whether this huge drain upon the financial resources of New Zealand should continue. The motto of the club was: “M’liat you cannot prohibit you must oontrql.” No means bad so far been devised of preventing New Zealand money from going to overseas lotteries, said Mr. Potter, and if the drain could not be stopped it would be infinitely bolter to run lotteries in the country, and so keep tin* money here. Many non-gam-blers prominent in business had expressed their support of the scheme on this ground. Mr. Potter said lie had ascertained that in this city a group of seven agents of Tattersall’s sent; away a total of over £.'>o(l a week, end lie had reason to believe that an agent in Sydney received by post, from individual New Zealanders no less than £4OO a week. These facts indicated the. volume of business done in this country, in which there were hundreds of agents, and many thousands” of people who sent their money direct, to Australian agents. It was probable that a sweepstake on the lines of Tattersall’s would return lo the Government £200,000 a year if the Tasmanian rate of tax were imposed, but, more important still, would be the retention in the country of all the money involved. Erom the result of the club’s canvass lo date, lie said there appeared lo be every likelihood of a ver\ large membership being built up to give strength to the request for it referendum.