Show GUESSING CONTEST AttorneyGeneral Decides That It Is Not a Lottery Washington Aug AttorneyGen eral Knox has rendered to the Post masterGeneral an opinion on whether a certain Western dally paper has violated vio-lated the law prohibiting tha use or the I mails for advertising lotteries gift concerns con-cerns and similar enterprises I A paper some time ago announced a guessing contest advertising that it would give 1500 prizes aggregating 10 coo In value to persons making the nearest near-est estimates of the number of paid admissions ad-missions to the Pan Amerlcan exposition I exposi-tion at Buffalo from the day of opening I to the day of closing I The AttorneyGeneral says that until practicaly forbidden by law the remedy Is with Congress and not with the department I de-partment He says the contestants must go Into a careful inquiry as to the facts about the exposition public interest Inter-est and attendance to date and continues I con-tinues as follows Such estimates therefore while I necessarily dependent In many respects I upon chance arc likewise affected by the Intelligent calculations o a thoughtful observer A fair construction construc-tion of the words dependent upon lot or chance excludes estimates which are based upon mental calculation even though the factors which enter Into such calculation may be uncertain and I matters of conjecture The drawing of I a lot or the throw of the die are purely dependent upon chance for no mental I operation can aid In estimating the result re-sult As penal statutes must be construed con-strued strictly I am unable to reach the conclusion that the giving of prizes I as a reward for superior intelligence in estimates where the human Intellect is exercised In moklrLgjsuch estimates Js I purvIew of the statute and thewcon r elusion cannot be affected by the demoralizing de-moralizing fer m tendencies to which you re i |