New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-05

and serve a double end. They are. In reality
lots played by the Government, and cannot be
bought. but, by clever scheme they are made
to yield something to the State and at the same
time to act on the purchaser of an ordinary
ticket as an incentive to continue to play This
Is done in this wise: If the holder Of a common
lot wins n priz- in the first class, besides the
money gained in this way a free ticket" one
Of those belonging to the Government. is given
him gratis for the next higher. the second
class Should he win on the free ticket in the
second class. the price of an ordinary ticket
would be subtractcd from the amount due him.
In this way the Government IS paid for large
number Of the lots it apparently gives away
Up TO the time they are given out, however.
the Government has 1920 chances Of itself
winning the prizes it offers Besides this, the
state indirectly receives 10 per cent Of the cost
OF each ticket for the tax on the Government
stamp with which each ticket must be supplied.
As 10 per cent of thiry-nine is in this case
rcckoned as four marks and the fee OF one
mark for the services of the lottery clerk is
added to the original price, the cost Of a ticket
finally amounts to # marks
Tho Government Of course. reserves the right
to invest the money to be used for prizes until 1t
is needed The income from these investments
The lottery tickets are 50 arranged that they
can be adapted to almost any purse. There are,
Of course. whole tickets. and besides these half,
quarter and tenth tickets costing. respectively,
4 marks, - marks, II marks and 40 marks.
To increase the chances Of winning however.
one can effect a combination. which it would
seem must BE- successful. one can buy, for in
stance. tenth tickets for the first and second
classes and half tickets for the third and fourth;
in this way the sum is less than the price Of an
ordinary lot. and the chances are four times
greater This is often dOne-that is. when there
is n sufficient number Of valuable lots, but
generally. despite the fact that such large num-
Der is issued annually. there is always the
greatest demand for them. | know man now
whom n friend is beseging to sell him half of
his halftickets, but his prospect Of success is
small. for tickets are generally kept in the fam
ily or at most loaned.
While the Government takes part itself in the
lotteries it will not allow its agents to do so
They are forbidden to buy lots for themselves or
for their friends and relatives if for their own
benefit. Agents are usually merchants, who are
able to prove that for one year, at least, they
have been independent business men, and that
they are men of property. In order to satisfy the
Government that they are responsible persons
they are obliged to give a security from their
own income which varies with the number Of
lottery tickets they control For the right to sell
$50 lots they must deposit 1000 marks. for
from $50 to 800 lots, 1900 marks and for
every additional hundred. 1900 marks. In re-
cent years the lottery agencies have frequently
been managed by retired officers. but in consd- /
Grafton Of their modest incomes they are not
obliged to make deposit from their own cap /
ital. y trustworthy person may 90 SO for them
A POSITION MUCH SOUGHT AFTER.
No odium whatever attaches to the manager |
Of lottery agency; on the contrary, the position
is much sought after, not ory by older business !
men and pcnsioned officers. but also by young
men to whom the fees offer at least compe- |
tency. while the duties which devolve upon them |