Lotteries.—A_ report by the Commissioner of Police is submitted (1) on the.subject of a_ lottery that is being conducted by a local company and in connexion there with.
(2) suggesting that the time is opportune for re-consideration of the Council's attitude towards lotteries, in view. of the recent decision of the French Council to allow Chinese' lotteries in the French Settlement.
As to (1) It is pointed out that the company concerned requested permission to conduct a guessing contest in May 1921, when' the Council replied that, if cash prizes were given, such a contest would be a lottery and could not be approved, but that if no cash prizes were given there would be no objection thereto. It is further -pointed out that no application has been made to the Council in the case of the present lottery which specifically provides for prizes in kind or in cash at the option of prize winners.
As to (2) reference is made to the efforts made by the Council in the latter part of 1918 and in the early part of 1919 to obtain the agreement of the French Council to the adoption of a similar policy towards lotteries to that obtaining in this Settlement, with the result that the French Council then state ed that it shared the view held by the Council and regarded with disapproval all Chinese lotteries, but reserved to itself liberty to adopt any attitude thereto that it saw fit. It is next pointed out that the Council's policy in this matter is based on Bye-law XXXIV and on the published minute on Lotteries contained in the Hand-hook of Local Regulations, but that application of this policy had varied to some extent with the varying views of succeeding Coun-ceils and with the circumstances of each particular case, and that it appeared therefore very desirable that- a definite policy and procedure should now be laid down for application to all cases so far as possible. To which end and on the assumption that members would desire to'confirm their general disapproval of lotteries, the following suggestion is submitted as a Basis for discussion, viz.
Lottery licences to be granted only on application made on the requisite form giving the required particulars of the lottery and provided that such lottery comes under one or other of the following heads and complies with ihe conditions set forth. Al] other lotteries to be prohibited.
(a) Lotteries or Raffles for Charitable Purposes.—No cash prizes; only prizes in kind permitted. The char: able purposes, the.parties conducting the lottery and the conditions attached thereto to be approved by the Council.
(by Lotteries to Assist. the Sale of an Article of Trade.—No cash prizes; only prizes in kind and none to be of a greater value than $50. No such lottery to be.licensed until the Council is satisfied as to the bond fides of such lottery and the persons conducting the same.
Members proceed io give consideration to the matters outlined above.
Dealing first with the particular case of the lottery conducted by the company referred to they concur that the needs of the case will be met by a letter addressed to the Company notifying it that the lottery conducted by it had been brought to the Council's notice and calling upon it to discontinue such lottery forthwith, Dealing next with the general question of Jotteries, members fully concur that it is very desirable that a definite policy and procedure should be laid down and after due consideration of the suggestions made in this connexion by the Secretary and Commissioner General, they record their approval thereof subject to amendment of the limit of the value of any prize in lotteries to assist the sale of an article of trade to $10 instead of Lelephone Company—Inter-communication with the Chinese T'elephone Administration. from the Engineer-in-Chief General Manager of the Te!
Company forwarding for the Council's approval draft proposed agreement between the Company and the Chinese Government Telephone Administration are submitted with departmental comments and a memorandum by the Secretary and Commissioner General and members record their non-objection subject to the following observations which will be embodied in the Council's reply to the Company, viz:
(1) That the Company be required to confirm the condition set forth sin the Council's letter of August 24, 1920 and accepted in the Company's letter of August 25 that inter-communication would be forthwith discontinued whenever the Council might consider circumstances so require and notify the Company accordingly.
(2) That the Company be reminded of the correspondence in 1918 in regard to the revision of subscription rates, and be requested to give this matter its immediate attention.
(3) That the Company be requir-ive its assurance that should -hanges at any time become d through inadequacy of operating staff or other cause, inter-communication with the Chinese Telephone Administration subscribers would be suspended when such suspension is calculated result in improved efficiency on the Company's own lines and (4) That it should be pointed out to the Company that the draft proposed agreement would have to be so worded as not to conflict with certain obligations of the Company under its agreement with the Council.
Tramways—Maintenence of Tram Track and Permanen: Way.—Reference is again made 'x the present unsatisfactory condition of the tram track and to the apparent dilatoriness in executing alterations to the sub-structure carrying the rails, and, after the Secretary and Commissioner General has referred to the respective obligations of the Company and the Council in this connexion under-the agreement concluded in 1917, members direct that the Acting Commissioner of Public Works be requested to report expressing his views.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.