The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1928-01-04
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY A, 1928
GIFT ENTERPRISES AND NEWSPAPER
ADVERTISING.
springfield Advance)

springfield Advance)
~ ECAUSE of ridiculous federal law which
X prohibits newspapers from sending through
- the mails any advertising matter referring
to gift enterprises the newspapers are losing
lot of advertising that is now going to the radio
broadcasting stations. Tuesday night WCCO
broadcast program for a coal company In
the studio was large box filled with letters
from people all over the northwest. The an
nouncer drew from the box Is of these letters.
The first ten drawn entitled the writers of the
letters ton of coal each. The 18th represent
ed tons, the 18th tons and the 14th tons.
The names of the winners were announced. They
represented four states.
There is no law against giving something
away for nothing, either an outright gift to all
or number of gifts to the holders of lucky
numbers in a chance drawing, providing nothing
of value is paid for the chance. If price is put
on the chance, it is gambling and contrary to
law, but if the chances free to ALL there is
no gamble and the law does not prohibit it. But
the postoffice department, because of a federal
law, puts ban on all advertising matter refer
ring to the drawing. We cannot give list of
the prizes or list of the winners. The business
is driven from the newspaper office to the radio.
Congress has control over radio also, but it dis
eliminates against the newspaper in favor Of the
radio.
Several times year some Springfield mer
chants decide to give away prizes. They bring
their advertising copy to this office and we are
forced to inform them that We cannot run the
copy in the newspaper if the winners are to be
determined by lot by drawing. The last time
we did run such advertisement, we were re-
ported and received stern letter from the
10
the offense.
On Sauerkraut Days several of these draw
ings are held One merchant gives out tickets
on which the people calling at the store write
their names and deposit the tickets in box. The
lucky ticket wins prize 1t costs nobody
cent except the donor of the prize. 1t is not
gamble, but gift. Others conduct guessing
contests. 1t costs nothing to register a guess.
The one making the nearest to correct guess is
given a prize There is nothing wrong about
such gift enterprises They are permitted by
out state law, but the postal laws forbid to
advertise them.
There is no harm in game of chance if
there is no charge for the chance. The postal
laws however, do not diferentiate between a
legitimate and proper gift enterprise and lot
terry or gamble All gift enterprises are denied
the use of the mails. The newspapers lose leg
itimate advertising and the merchants who desire
to give away something advertisement are
compelled to use some other means of publicity.
When the government opening Indian
reservations to settlement, the choice pieces of
land went to those who drew the lucky numbers.
The lucky ones paid no more for their land than
those who were less fortunate in the drawing.
That was gamble because of the expense each
entryman had to pay. People flocked to the new
settlements spending many dollars for carfare
and board. The government did not limit the
entries to the number of parcels of land avail
able. They made it a real gamble by permitting
all to file who had the time and money to get
there. Yet, the government will not allow q
newspaper to advertise prize to the person
guessing the weight of a sack of flour the
number of pieces in stove or the cost of build
ing materials in house, all three of which
guessing contests were held in this city the past
couple of years and had to be refused advertis-
ing space in this paper.
When the first soldiers were drafted in the
world war, they were drawn by lot The govern
ment conducting the drawing. But if a merchant
wants to give away. prize to the person drawing
the lucky number from box or hat, it must not
be published in the newspaper, even though the
chances are free to all and no gambling is in
volved.
The law should be amended so as to prohibi
sending through the mail any advertisement OF
gift enterprise in which some consideration
is paid, directly or indirectly for the chance
Where the chance is absolutely free, the gift
enterprise should be allowed the use of the mails
If the government will not make that conces
sion, then it should take the privilege away from
the broadcasting stations, which are licensed I'M.