HOW TO GET RICH FOR A GUINEA. (From The Weekly Citizen.)

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1624, 30 November 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

HOW TO GET RICH FOR A GUINEA. (From The Weekly Citizen.)

Theoretically, we are a severely virtuous people— practically, we are just about as vicious as our neighbours. Thus, gambling is a vice, for which we entertain a truly pious horror. We shudder as we read of the doings at Hombourg and Monaco, and the lotteries of foreign states are in our eyes as the abomination of desolation. Holding these views, of course, we do not allow the Chinese to indulge in their national pastime, "pak-a-pu." It is not to be supposed that we would permit that misguided race to invest their money in such a hazardous venture. Also, we do not encourage sweeps or raffles. But we have no objection to art-unions or prize distributions. That is a game which is legalised by Act of Parliament. Now, the gambliug instinct is strong within the natural man. To jump to fortune at one bound is a temptation which few can resist, when the risk is not great. The process of making money in the ordinary way, though sure, is too slow for our modern ideas. Our fore-fathers were content to make money for their children to spend; we want to spend it ourselves. Therefore, we are in a hurry to become rich, before the faculty of enjoying wealth is lost to us. We cannot afford to wait, and we eagerly seize such opportunities for speedy aggrandisement as come in oin 1 way. That is why most people gamble in. shares and lotteries, and there is not the slightest chance of preventing them. It is useless to make any pow-v/ow about it — a certain amount of gambling, people will indulge in, and no law will stop them. Yet, the statute book contains prohibitory enactments, and preachers constantly declaim against th 3 sin of gambling. This is waste of force, especially on the part of the preachers, who never hesitate to appeal to the gambling instinct by lotteries at bazaars, &c. The latest popular manner of proceeding is exemplified in a prospectus now before us, which emanates from the office of Messrs. Byron Moore and Macleod, of the Exchange, Melbourne, the well-known Melbourne brokers and agents. It is headed "the Grassdale Stud Company," capital 7000 guineas, in 7000 shares of one guinea each," This company is formed for the purpose of purchasing the racing stud of Mr. John Coldham, of Grassdale. The stud comprises St. Albans (one of the finest bred horses in the world), Sunlight and Noonday, three entires of the best blood, who have scored many victories in the racing field; twenty-seven thoroughbred mares, and forty -four thoroughbred colts and fillies, all of which, we are told, promise well. The company buy this lot of valuable animals, but not with the intention of using them. They are bought simply to be distributed amongst the shareholders after the principle of an ordinary raffle. The ninety-six animals will constitute ninetysix prizes of varying value; but the least valuable would prove a very considerable return, for the investment of one guinea, whilst the winner of a leading prize will receive what, to a poor man, would be a fortune — a prize worth £1250. The prospectus sets forth the exploits of the various animals, and of their progenitors, from which we gather that the sum demanded for- them is in no way excessive, when the extra expense incidental to "floating ",suoh a company is taken into consideration. , f , . '.' And this is a venture which offers temptation, hot alpne to the racing man, wHo|- lives inWafcbaospherefeof gambling, ;bus;to\'eve?y r $fton Pisp^lilflprtbjs;; for ; |s|ua 4iß' 4 iB'

twenty-one shillings, to realise, at one swoop, a sum of money, which would, to most men, transcend the savings of many years of labor. Wfio can wonder that auoh an opportunity is greedily sought after, and heartily welcomed? Money means power; money mean happiness (or, at least, freedom from much care) ; it even means health, to a poor man who cannot afford the rest and ohange of scene without which his life will come to a premature end. Money is so important an element in human happiness, that its possession may justly be regarded as a blessing, for its absence is too often a curse. To decry money is simply to call the grapes Bour, Jbeoauoe they are out of reach. Sickly rubbish of that kind •may look well on paper, but the very man who howls loudest against the advantages of money, is usually he, who, of all others, of most anxious for its possession. The love of money, per se, ie a disease ; but the love ,1s \ the blessings it can confer upon its owner, is pure common sense. It is true that most men do not trouble about thinking of money ; but then, most men know that fortune will never be theirs, except by some rare chance which baffles calculation. i And right here comes just such a chance— a small chance it may be, but still a chance, which many may think it foolish to neglect. ! They will argue that only by some such outside means will they be ever able to achieve fortune, and quickly decide that, on the " nothing venture, nothing have " principle, it is worth their while to risk a small outlay, in order to put themselves in the way of attaining so grand an end. Moralists will blame, of course, but even moralists will, s?t& rosa, have a shot on their own account. Preaching and practice are not always combined, now-a-days. Now,- where is the sense in permitting such a lottery as this Grassdale affair, and prohibitiag other speculations oi a similar nature, because they bear a different name ? Why should we countenance the raffle of a house, for instance, for a charitable object, at perhaps double its value;, or the distribution of a racing-stud, whilst we refuse to permit a Chinaman to invest his money in a lottery, which is conducted on equitable principles, and probably does not yield a greater per-centage of profit to its promoters? Such legislation as we do possess in this matter is oppressive, rather than repressive, aud it necessitates, for its evasion, a cumbrous method of procedure, which adds to the cost, and increases the odds against the investor. Take, for instance, this Grassdale lottery: I It is fair to assume that the expenses, attendant upon " floating" a company to work the raffle, will amount to £500. If that amount were saved, £6,500 would be sufficient to recoup the projectors, and, there being 96 prizes, the odds against each shareholder winning a prize would be 67 to one, instead of 74 to one, as at present. The loss necessarily falls upon the public, for the promoters will, of course, have made their calculations accordingly. Either let us squarely stop this sort of thing altogether, even in connection with a church raffle ; or let us honestly own our failures, and abolish enactments which serve only to make trouble, without doing any good. As for this Grassdale business, we may deplore, but we ought not to blame. Mr. Coldham has a perfect right to dispose of his property as he pleases, and he must well know the risk of forcing the market in the ordinary way. All that we have to do is to sec that he is offering fair value for the money he demands, and that, there is every reason to believe is the case. As we are aware that neither he would permit, nor would Messrs. Byron Moore and M'Leod accept business that was not perfectly fair to the public.