The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1900-06-07
THE PROS AND CONS OF THE
LOTTERY QUESTION.

provide for the organization anu moor
poration of lottery in the State Of
Nevada. This amendment will come
up before the hext Legislature, which
will decide whether or not the question
shall de admitted to vote of the people.
The only paper in the State that has
come out openly in favor of the lottery
is the Lyon County Times. In its last
issue it says:
1.-THE Times makes no apology nor
does it offer any excuse for advo-
eating lottery in this State. Every
other known gambling game is licensed
in Nevada, while the least harmful of
ala lottery--is barred; and because
of its being prohibited, from Sl5, 900 to
500, 600 is being sent out OF the State
monthly for outside lottery tickets. 1t
seems to be the fad of Nevadans to send
their money out OF the State and to
taboo the estab lishment OF any industry
or enterprise that will bring money
into tho State. A lottery in Nevada
would not only keep much money in the
State which now goes out for this pur-
pose, but would bring hundreds of
thousands of dollars into the State CHI
year. A lottery would, of course, be a
money making business for any com
pany which established it, and for that
reason company should be made to
pay a stiff license for franchise.
Everyone comedies that water
storage system is the one great neces-
sity OF Nevada to-day, yet nobody has
taken this matter up in such manner
as to make any Roadway, and to-day
tha Ctata 10 f,tafbap omav IL nnaribla
from securing water storage than it was
fifteen years ago. Home capital will
not touch such proposition because il
is too large; outside capital cannot be
induced to invest because of the exor-
bitant rate of taxation, and it is worse
than useless to look for government aid
on.this question. No one has yet adj
vocated means to secure money for
this project that Is feasible. Now If a
company which proposed to establish a
lottery in this State would place in the
State treasury each year the sum of
$50, 900, this money could be put into
an irrigation fund and hannled by
State Board of Reclamation Commits
sioners, elected by the people for that
purpose, and 1t would be but few
years until storage reservoirs were con-
structed at the headwaters of every
stream in the State. This amount of
money expended every year in the State
would furnish employment to many
men, and when the works were COM
pleted the taxab BILE property in the State
would be doubled, If not quadrupled,
and the money would still be- forthcom-
ing yearly to keep the works in repair.
Such state of affairs would reduce the
rate of taxation so that capital could be
easily induced to invest within our bor-
ders. 1t would not then be necessary
for such companies az the F'loriston
Paper Company to build works just out
side OF the Nevada line. If the people
of our State cannot stand the name of a
lottery State for the results that would
come as above outlined, they are thin
ner-skinned and more hypoeritieal
than many imagine. :"
We admire the candor with which the
Times has taken its position on this i'm
portant question, and with equal can
dor, we must array ourselves on the
other side. Our opposition is not based
on the moral phase of the question,
which we agree with the Times can
hardly be urged in State which licens-
es other forms of gambling and prize
fighting. We are opposed to State
lottery, not because 1t is gambling
game, but because it would be a swim
die, and the people of Nevada would
be its first and most numerous victims
The Times knows that no lottery
conducted on the square could pay
the enormous license it suggests. Yet
1t is willing to have the State become
partner in a swindling, thieving game
because it believes that a part of the
Doodle can be used to provide water
storage system for the State.
The argument OF the Times is plaus-
ible at first sight, but we believe it is
false both in its promises and conclu-
sions. 1t is false, in the first place,
when 1t assumes that the greater por-
ton of the license paid would come
from suckers outside of the State.
There are several lottery companies
operating on the Coast at the present
time, and doing good business with
out paying cent for license. A license |
in Nevada would not assist them in do |
ing business anywhere else but in this |
State. The mails would still be closed |
to them and the laws of other States
would operate just as they do now. Is
it not clear, therefore, that no lottery
company would pay license to the
State OF Nevada unless 1t could see its
way clear to make every dollar of it
back out of its business in this State,
along with two or three dollars more in
the shape of profits, expenses and cor
ruption funds? In our opinion this
would be an expensive way for tho peo-
pie of Nevada to build water-storage
system-one dollar for dams and reser-
v0ir sites, and two or three dollars to a
gang OF swindlers and sharpers.
The Times says that lottery would
bring hundreds of thousands of dollars
into the State. Wedo not believe that 1t
would bring dollar permanently. Cap
Ital for Investment would stear clear of
US as the rats quit a rotten ship, and so
far as the winnings of the lottery are
concerned, they would all 60 to San
or some other large city,
where the real offices of the lottery
would be. We are inclined to believe.
too, that the Times has greatly exag-
zerated the amount of money which is
being spent at present by citizens of