Note 13 — THE REPRESSION OF GAMBLING

The writer is aware that to provide adequate counter-attractions would entail a very heavy expenditure. It has been estimated that, to provide adequate counter-attractions to public-houses would require annually £1000 for every 10,000 of the population, a sum which cannot be raised by private subscription. A scheme of Constructive Temperance Reform has been before the country for some time, under which the public-house trade would be taken out of private hands, and the profits given to the National Exchequer to be used for certain specified purposes. The first charge throughout the country would, however, be the provision of adequate counter-attractions to the public-house. In so far as the profits of the public-house trade are probably not less than £20,000,000 per annum, and since, upon the estimate given above, £4,000,000 would furnish the sum required for counter-attractions, it will be seen that under this scheme there would be no difficulty as to funds.