Evening star., 1931-05-31
Irish Sweepstakes
A British Dilemma
BY A. G. GARDINER.

LONDON. May 30.-England Is on
the eve of the greatest popular festival
CT the year, but on this occasion public
interest in the Derby of next We'd
nesday is overshadowed by the Irish
| Sweepstake, organized in connection
/ Herewith. The unparalleled success Of
that event has created an extraordinary
situation. with which the government
apparently is helpless to deal. The
country is faced with something like
the American dilemma of prohibition.
The betting laws prohibit sweepstakes,
except where privately organized. and
hitherto measures against the exploita-
ton OF foreign lotteries in this coun.
try have been effective.
But Ireland has broken through the
barrier with wave of gambling that
has engulfed ali classes. The object
of the promoters IS to finance Irish
hospitals, and the success of the idea
was demonstrated by a profit of more
than $l,000,000 on the Grand National
Sweepstake earlier in the. year. The
Derby Sweerstake registers an enor-
nous advance in receipts. More than
100000 tickets have been issued and
it is estimated that 100000 persons
in England and Scotland. whence an
overwhelming proportion of the money
comes, have an interest in the drawing.
which was made in Dublin last night.
The prize money approximates s1o,-
100000 and the surplus for the Irish
hospitals $2,5o0,o0O.
All efforts Of the government TO keep
out Of the flood have failed Dtstribu-
tors of tickets have been prosecuted, the
post Office machinery has been en-
ployed to prevent their transmission
and customs authorities at all parts
have ransacked luggage and impounded
tickets wherever found. In Scotland
even more drastic steps have been
taken, officers invading private houses
in searching for tickets. But the re-
suits, as evidenced by the colossal sub.
scriptions, have been negligible and the
home office Is at its wits end as to
how to deal with the breakdown Of
the law.
The subject has been discussed in
Parliament, and public opinion Is
sharply divided on the issue. The
anomaly of Irish hospitals being
financed out of British pockets by a
breach Of British law, while the Eng
lish hospitals are all impoverished,
adds a touch Of comedy to the Sit
uation. A strong effort was made to
induce English hospitals to appeal to
the government to permit sweepstakes
for their beneflt, but the governors
OF the hospitals decided in the mega
tive on the ground Of moral objections
to the state recognition of gambling
and because Of the belief that sweep
stakes would tend to diminish the
flow of voluntary contributions. This
decision was reached before the SEN
sational figures of the Derby Sweep
stake had disclosed the immense re-
sources now tapped in behalf OF for
eign institutions.
But, apart from finance. the hos
pitals incident raises the more funda-
mental question of the conflict be-
tween the law and public opinion. It
Is notorious that attempts to suppress
betting on horse races by legislation
have had only partial success, and that
gambling on the turf today is more
extensive than ever before and consti.
tutes a far greater evil than drink.
which, owing to the restriction of hours
and heavy taxation of alcohol. has
enormously diminished in recent years.
Hitherto anti-gambling laws have
functioned superficialiy. Their col.
lapse before the Irish tidal wave
changes the situation. With a quarter
OF the population directly interested In
the Irish Sweepstake, it IS recognized
that public opinion repudiates the law
on the subject and It is being widely
argued that the country is in danger
Of repeating the experience Of Amer.
ice, where prohibition has created
something like q revolt against Law.
Ccopyright, 1879