The Daily bulletin., 1892-10-28
Proposed State Lottery for Japan.

,
against anything in the form of lot
teries, and her strenuous efforts to
suppress gambling. 1t is therefore
with surprise and regret that we find
the Choya, seemingly in all serious
ness, discussing scheme for what it
terms giant lottery, which is not
only to be tolerated but actually
participated in by the Government.
Our contemporary says that numer-
GUS men of standing both within
and without the Government, aided
by several prominent members of
both Houses, are the promoters of
the scheme The idea is to follow
the example of the Manila Lottery
in everything but the price of the |
tickets, which our contemporary says |
would be placed at $50 a piece O., |
the first prize being SS0,0O0, the |
opinion being that more profit could |
be obtained from slices than from |
crumbs. Agents would be appointed |
in various parts, Shanghai, ,Hongkong
CO, Vladivostock, etc, and the com
pany would anticipate being enabled
to pay the Government the hand
some sum of SS00,OOO per annum in
tDe 10TH Ol lees, WHICH ullONIt
would be devoted to the cultivation
of the Hokkaido. Before the com
pany could be started it would of
course be necessary to alter the
present law with regard to Lotteries;
but our contemporary seems to see
no insuperable difficulty in doing
this, and says that it is contemplated
bringing forward bill for this pur-
pose at the next session.
This scheme is seriously propound-
ed by one of the leading Toxic jour
nails, and we must therefore presume
that the Choya knows what it is
talking about and is not deliberately
trading upon the credibility of its
readers. In the midst of Japan's
extensive reforms in the laws of her
land, the proposition calmly made
to abolish one of the best, and step
back to stage which some of the
most advanced nations of the earth
thought it wiser to quit half cen
tury ago, is ludicrous and regret
table. Japan cannot afford to re-
trace single step that she has taken
while actuated by the highest prin-
ciples for her peoples welfare No
more disastrous way of raising ma
tional funds, for whatever purpose,
exists than by means of State
Lotteries. France recognized this
only some ten years later than
England and some German States a
little later. The State lotteries
now in existence may not be active
agencies for evil, but they have not
been proved as yet to be national
benefactors. In country like Japan
whose people live in the spirit of
"let us eat, drink, and be merry, for
tomorrow we die" the idea of a
State lottery is fraught with the
gravest apprehensions. The people
are now being gradually, yet pain
fully and slowly, won to exercise
some common powers of thrift and
discretion. Introduce the lottery
and all that has been done in this
direction will vanish like puff of
smoke. With the naturally careless
spirit of the people, ever alive to the
attractions of chance gain rather
of hard and steady work, the lottery
has an irresistible charm, and sur
plus savings will be gladly sacrificed
on the altar of possible prize of
majestic proportions. The absurd
price of the tickets suggested by the
Choya would, it is true, considerably
limit the circle of the lottery's pa
irons, but it would drain the money
from the pockets of the wealthy
minority which is wanted by the
trade and industries of the masses
and the Hokkaido would be
fertilized by the bones of an i'm
poverished multitude, while select
little party of Diveses Jared sumptu
ously every day. If money is sc
urgently needed for the cultivation
of the Hokkaido, and we are not fol
one moment minimizing the import
ance to the Empire of the colon,
being utilized, there are other way
it seems to us of raising the funC
than by robbing Peter. How abou
the little surplus of the first Parlia
mentary Budget? We believe thi
mouths of the various department
water. Then there is the expedienc,
of levying say a colonization tax
No larger sum than | sen per hea'
per month of Japan's 40 million
would realize revenue of S4, 100000
Those absolutely too poor to pay |
sen per annum could find guarantor
for the amount without much diff
Guilty we should say, and the resul
would not only pay the cost of col
lection if managed economically
but place at the disposal of tn
Government far larger amour
than is calculated for by means o
the lottery. And that without i'm
posing any heavy burden on grea
or small, and without draining OF
the valuable resources of the coun
try into pockets whence there woulo
be no return.-Japan Gazette, Sept. {