Detroit evening times., 1942-05-23
Big Lottery
Just as Legal
AS Lille One
Local Benefit Affairs
Permitted by Police
BY DAMON RUNYON

u Gus forms is going on all over
the United States almost con-
stantly and, while ii is mainly
on a small scale. ] am gratified
TO note that where il is for some
worthy cause. the authorities do
not seem disposed to interfere.
My qualification comes from
the fact that this passive atti-
tude suggests a softening up on
the part of the authorizes to-
ward lottery that may be an
indication that my national lot
tery for army and navy relief,
than which there is no cause
more worthy, might be launched
without bothering to get Con-
gressional action to that effect.
If the authorities paid no
more attention to my lottery
than they do to some of those
going on now, all would be clear
sailing, though / suppose the
size of mine would be bound to
attract notice. On second
thought, perhaps it is best to
wait on Congress.
l am aware that some of my
readers will say that the failure
of the authorities to observe the
minor lottery enterprises of the
day as against their probable
vigilance toward major opera
tion merely reflects the general
hypocrisy of some of the public
in this situation, but let us not
be critical of the authorities.
Sometimes, they have their rea-
sons.
7 AM SURE the authorities Of
L the city of San Francisco had
their reasons for ignoring
drawing of tickets in a pool"
on the Kentucky Derby that
took place there recently. There
were four prizes of $7,464.
S2,488, S1,244 and 1922, respec-
lively. and from the total of
S26. 900 collected on ticket sales,
$13,3 was to go-and I pre-
sumo did go-to a local hospital,
the balance of the collection be-
ing represented by the prize
money.
Now this drawing was at
tended by considerable news
paper publicity and must have
been known to the authorities
and, as a drawing for money
prizes is lottery per sc, the rea-
sons aforesaid would be inter-
esting. Perhaps, the sponsors had
new angle on the drawing that
kept it legal, or at least did not
make il illegal.
/ recall that certain society
ladies of New York City put on
drawing for money prizes in
connection with a horse race
called the Futurity and had the
authorities down on the like
ton o brick. The purpose was
charity and, believe me, I de-rlot
disapprove of these small prof.
ects for worthy causes knowing
how difficult it is to raise money
for charity under any circum-
stances. But / fail to see any
difference between lottery on a
small scale and lottery on the
large scale that I propose.
IS ANOTHER example of the
"A small-time lottery prevalent
in the United States, 1 might
cite a recent grand drawing"
under the auspices of a church
society for $1,000 government
bond. E. w. Wridgway of Wilkes
Barre. Pa, sends me a ticket
sold for this drawing for 81 and
1 note that it states that only
1,500 tickets will be sold. The
bond stood the society $3.50,
leaving ii a gross return of $3.50
if all the tickets were sold.
This would run into big profit
II carried on for any length of
time and, while / am sure that
the proceeds are devoted to the
worthy purposes of the society,
l still think such a drawing is
as much lottery as the shaking
out of the lucky number in a
boleta throwing in the backroom
of gin mill down in Dade
County, Fla.
COME Of my readers complain
~ that a national lottery would
encourage gambling among per-
sons who cannot afford to
gamble, a point that is perhaps
well taken However, I am Won
dering just what influence is
being exerted on those same per-
sons by their current gambling
on legalized horse racing, in the
numbers racket, in drawings
such as I have described. as well
as those in the movie theaters
and in an hundred other ways.
My proposal is for national
lottery for army and navy relief
during the war and perhaps
short time afterwards. not for
lottery as permanent institu-
tion, and I say that IL would
take care Of not only the needs
OF the families of our fighting
men but perhaps leave enough
over 10 eliminate the necessity
Of inducing gambling in small
lotteries for other worthy causes.
Copyright. 1919. King Festure. syrd.. Inc
Distributed by International News seryte