The Van Buren press., 1896-11-21
LOTTERY IN FRANCE
Foolish Plans to Raise Funds for
National Enterprise wv

NATIONAL Enterprise.
The organizers of the exhihit;o,y
1900, says Paris letter. have launeho,
financial scheme which would gu o
senseless If they could not count on ,,,'
passion of lotteries. They have
nounced the issue of 1880, eco bonds =,
20 francs each. The $4,000, 900 inns nv W
duced, coupled with the subsidies frora
The Paris municipality and the statai
amounting to 100,000,000 francs ara ~
be employed in starting the buildiro
operations. These comprise two nai'
aces in the Champs Elysees in place %
the Palace of Industry, bridge over ths
Seine, and the buildings, which will
cover the immense area from the a,.
tremity of the Champ de Mars TO .bs
chief entrance in the Champs EIvsees
Each bond will entitle the holder 10 Oh
admission tickets and to chance in %
drawings. The latter, which are cor.
tainly the great attraction, include
money prizes of 100000 francs. 100 ono
| francs, 10000 francs and smaller SIMS
down TO 100 francs. The bondholderv
are also entitled to reduced railway
fares from the provinces to Paris apd
back, reduced rates of conveyance with.
| in Paris and reduced rates of admission
to the entertainments in the exhibition
itself. There will, of course, be no re-
turn of the capital to persons not win
ming lottery prizes.
Now the first question which arises is
whether there will really in six months
be 65000,00o paying entries, or about
$50, 900 a day. Some persons will doubt
less go 90 or 30 times, but in 1880 there
were only 2S,000,000 paying entries.
One million two hundred thousand
bonds of 25 francs had then been issued
SO that about 2,000,0 900 tickets wereun-
used, though they could latterly be pur-
chased for 25 eentimes. Strictly speak
ing, indeed, the admissions numbered
only 25,500,000, but on certain special
days the charge was five or ten francs,
and each visitor, therefore, used five ON
ten tickets. This will again be the case
In 1900. but in 1880 the daily average
of tickets used was 10000, whereas If
the 100000 are to be used in 1900 the
daily average must be 100000. To cer-
tain extent, however, the inevitable fall
in the selling price of the tickets will
swell the attendance, and it is Obvious
that nobody will pay frame at the
turnstiles when he can buy ticket in
the streets for quarter of the price.
But whether the great bulk of the
tickets is used or not, the exhibition
Golfers will receive the 100000 francs.
OF course the organizers do not count
On any further receipts from admis-
sions. They will, however, make money
by letting sites to exhibitors.
| Curiously enough, although the pub
lie subscription for the bonds does not
open for several days. brokers have for
ten days been delivering scrip, at first
al a slight premium. but latterly at par
They undertake to deliver bond even
If the application exceed the issue
know one financial establishment
which has had to engage an extra stat
of clerks to receive these applications
which in two days have numbered liz,
900. do not think the applications vii
be considerably in excess, but | have
reason to believe that the issue will be
covered. so that from Monday there vii
he $4,000, 900 francs in hand, minus thu
percentage to brokers. The financia
resources of the exhibition are thus in
| surpd london Times