The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-11-30
Guessing Contests.

Some time ago. on the request Of
/ Postmaster General Wynne. the pres
ident directed the attorney general to
submit 20 him an opinion as TO the
prCpriety. under the law restricting the
opera tons Of lottery enterprises
through the mail of guessing contests
of various kinds That opinion was
submitted today and was turned over
by the president TO Postmaster General
! Wynne. who hereafter VIII be guided
I i'm his direction of the department by
/ il. The opinion is of a most sweeping
/ character. and while the postmaster
/ general has no inclination to work
hardship upon anybody he viii put the
attorney generals Judgment into ef-
/ feet as soon as may be practicable.
He realizes that many thousands of
; people have invested small or large
amounts of money in the various
! schemes in the hope or expectation. i'm
I the words of the opinion. that luck
would enable to win large returns.
x comparatively small percentage
/ Of the participants viii realize their
/ expectations. continues the opinion.
Thousands win get nothing"
Lotteries in Disguise.
The attorney general says. the
/ schemes are i'm effect lotteries under
I the guise of guessing contests.
/ Postmaster General Wyune indicated
/ that IL was not his purpose TO apply
! the opinion OF Mr.. Moody indiscrimi-
I nately. saying IL was his intention to
1 consider each case brought before the
/ department on its individual merits. Tt
! is likely. too, that the opinion viii not
I be made i'm any sense retroactive, SO far
I as the pCstoffice department is con-
/ cerned but that il viii be put in Op-
Grafton in such a way and at such time
as may he least embarrassing 10 the
/ promoters of, or the participants in the
guessing contests.
Postmaster General Wynne tonight
save out the following official state
ment:
For Il number Of years the pOstOfticc
department has admitted 10 the mails
advertisements and other matter con-
corning SO-called guessing contests.
The question OF whether or not these
schemes are lotteries has been several
times presented 90 the attorney general
Vho held that they were not lotteries
within the meaning OF the postal lot
terry act
In view OF two recent cases in which
the supreme court and the New York
court of appeals rendered opinions. the
postmaster general felt warranted i'm
3
attorney general Following the Opin-
ions in these cases. the attorney gen
eral holds that the schemes are lot
teries.
viii Enforce the Law
1T is therefore incumbent upon the
Ipostoflice department TO enforce the law
under which the postmaster. general is
authorized, upon evidence satisfactory
10 him that any person or company is
icngaged in conducting a lottery on
ether scheme for the distribution Of
money or chance. to issue an order
that all mail addressed TO such person
or company be returned stamped
! fraudulent
AS a number of legitimate enter
prises have adopted these estimating
or Suss sing contests as means Of adj
vertising. ana in view of the admission
10 the mails o. matter pertaining q
these contests within the last few
years. the elimination Of these scheme.
, from the mails can not be made i'm
{ Immediately absolute. IT such a scheme
! has ever been entered upon i'm gOoC
I faith the department VIII not issue al
! order that VIII seriously injuge q le-
! Ultimate business. Each case viii b,
: handled separately and no schema
hich involves the plan ruled agains
ny the attorney general VIII hereafte
e.