Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-20
III TEMPO, Bogota. Don Leandro
4 Medina protests against lot
terieS. We dissent with his
opinions. While lotteries are


teries. We dissent with his
IL opinions. While lotteries are
perhaps not necessary or ex-
cuSable in prosperous country, in times
of depression and i'll financial crises
they are as yet the only institution
which continues to elicit the interest
and maintain the healthful functions of
commercial activity.
After all, almost any business Is a lot
terry. No one knows whether his judg-
ment and investments will prove profit
able or the reverse. The lottery is an
investment on the part of all the peo-
pie, of which, while few get the direct
benefit, all share in the indirect benefits,
comprised in new business stimulated by
the spending of the money.
The government cannot very consist
emily argue against the material adj
vantages consequent upon lotteries, for
it is estimated that one-flfth of the
tickets sold each week are purchased
by one of the ministers, who thus pa
triotically keeps his money in circula-
ton for the benefit of all the people.
If everybody purchased lottery tickets, 1t
would make financial stringency little
less evident over the holidays.
X X
New Laws May Prevent
Large Purchases by Wives.
La Prensa. Buenos Aires.-While the
gentlemen of Buenos Aires are not be-
low the average Of other great cities
in generosity, when 1t is matter OF
supplying their wives with funds, they
feel nevertheless that there are times
when too lavish spending is not to be
encouraged. There have been several
cases in recent months where commercial
establishments in the capital had TO
take court action against husbands VINO
refused to pay their wives bills. The
defense in all these cases has been the
same, viz, that the husband did not
authorize the wife to buy the articles
in question, and therefore the husband,
knowing nothing Of the transaction,
should not be held responsible for the
bill.
Under the present Argentine code,
which may be revised under the reg ime
of the new, government, husband is
deemed fully answerable for all his
wife's obligations, even these contracted
before marriage, so it has the natural
result that these protesting husbands
had TO pay for many silks and furs for
their wives whether they desired to do
so or not.
However. it is likely that the new
statute will provide that shopk eepers.
before obliging the ladies who present
themselves for credit at their respective
establishments. must ascertain beyond all
doubt that their spouses have accorded
them permission to incur the bill. A
man cannot very we'll govern his finan-
cial affairs If he is subjected to req
uisitionS upon his resources which
he cannot anticipate.
x% \
u. s. Still Long Way
From Being as Crowded rs Britain.
Irish Independent, Dublin.-With the
| decennial census due to take place
throughout Great Britain next year, 1t Is
| natural that interest should be awak-
ened in world-statistics of population,
especially in SO far as they affect and
are affected by the present economic
crisis.
Such figures, when examined, will be
found to contain many surprises. Who,
for instance, would have guessed. amid
all the current talk about increasing
Unemployment, that there are actually
half a million more persons employed
in Great Britain today than there were
six years ago?
It is interesting to note, in this con-
| nection, that certain American pub
licists are already beginning to COM
plain that their country will soon be
| too crowded. Its population today is
some 100 1000. 900, or about 35 inhabit
ants to the square mile. But to be as
| crowded as England and Wales,
America would have to have over 2,000,-
COG, 900 of nhabitants-more than the
present population of the whole world.
Or, In putting the matter In another
way, If England nowadays were only to
be as crowded .as America, her popula-
! ton would be less than that Of the
Irish Free State.
England shares with Belgium the dis
tinction Of being the most densely In