The post of a collector is naturally one of considerable trust and confidence, for the collectors have to pay the winnings to their clients and if they did not do this honestly or if they combined with the manager to cheat the stakers the lottery would have been impossible. But the collectors were well paid, they received at least a commission of ten per cent from the stakers on all money won by them, and in the rare event of getting no commission on any particular occasion, the manager had to make a present of $5 or so to the collectors in proportion to the amount of stakes she had collected, to pay for her transport and other expenses.
The occupation of a collector, therefore, was much coveted, as it was a steady source of income. I am afraid, too, that there can be no doubt that some of the collectors did occasionally make a hook with the manager and let the manager know what card would be best to declare and then shared the profits.
During the last 24 months there have been three large Chap-ji-ki lotterics in Singapore. The game was first started in Johore before it was introduced here.
Roughly speaking the daily total amount won at these three chief lotteries now was about from $300 to $500 or more, and the daily total profit of the managers was large. In some of the lotteries there is no limit to the amount that can be staked. Others are limited.
The solvency of these Chap-ji-ki lotteries was well secured, and commanded the confidence of the female staking public. The husband of the manager may have had sufficient funds to inspire confidence. If he was not a capitalist, two or three ladies of position and property would let it be publicly known that they would be responsible for-so and-so's lottery; and in return for the security thus furnished. these ladies would be taken into partnership by the manager and receive a share of the profits of the particular syndicate they guaranteed. After the Chap-ji-ki lotteries in chief were established and it was seen that big profits were being made, several ingenious spirits opened what they called Chap-ji-ki sub-agencies or branch firms. That is to say, the promoters made arrangments with one of the original chap-ji-ki syndicates by which they would be allowed to declare as their winning card whatever winning card the syndicate declared on any particular day. Some of these Chap-ji-
