Mataura Ensign GOEE : FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 1895.
Mataura Ensign, Volume 17, 28 June 1895, Page 2
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Mataura Ensign GOEE : FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 1895.
GAMBLING- IN NEW ZEALAND. Pabliament is to be asked this session to enact a Bill prohibiting the use of the Totalisator in New Zealand, as by its existence and use, gambling has been largely increased in this colony. We need hardly say that aDy effort put forward to increase the moral tone of the community would secure our heartiest sympathy and co-operation, but in this case we fail to see that the gumbling evil would be lessened or abated in the slightest degree by the proposed change. It is an accepted fact everywhere, that while horse-racing is a legalised and recognised pastime or sport, men will be found who are ever ready and willing to wager upon the chances of the respective contestants, and nothing short of committing an actual crime would induce many o£ them to refrain from having their " little bit 1 ' on their particular fancy. Even under the present regime the averago New Zealand race-course presents very little of the appearance of a Sunday-school picnic, and were the totalisator to be done away with, the present microscopic odor of sanoticity prevading their atmospheres would quickly disappear. Of course, it may be argued that many small clubs would die unnatural and speedy deaths if deprived of the 10 per cent, tax upon all moneys passing through the " machined " on their respective courses ; but even this is open to doubt. The absence of the Totalisator from many parts of Australia does not seem to have had this effect ; neither has it improved the moral tone of the people to an inordinate degree ; as, we believe, in many little tin-pot districts, an average of one race-meeting every day of toe week and two on Saturdays, are held with the utmost regalaril# and apparent success. However, the Tofcalisator question in New Zealand toadies the pocket of the (xovernmont ; consequently, right or wrong there is JilHo hope or fear (as the case may be) but that ihe 41 machine " will be permitted to pursue the oven tenor of its way for an indefinite period.
Another amendment to the Gaming and Lotteries Act, dealing with the gambling question in a somewhat different light though, is to be introduced by Mr F. Lawry, asking Parliament to expunge from the Statute Book, the inhibition placed upon consultations, he giving as his reasons the fact that large sums of money which arc yearly being sent to Australian turf lotteries are lost to the revenue of New Zealand. That portion of Mr Lawry's contention ?s well-grounded, there is no possible dou.t, but we fail to see how this colony would be benefited by the possession of a dozen " George Adams'." In the case of the N.S.W. consultations, the only persons deriving any direct and assured benefit therefrom are their promoters. State lotteries were abolished in England on the ground that their influence was pernicious and hurtful to the common weal of the people, and no effort has since been exerted by English politicians to secure their re-establishment on the grounds that large sums of English money go to the Hamburg and other made-in-Germany lotteries every year. Mr Lawry introduced ao hypocritical sentiments as to the improvement of Colonial morals into his suggestion, but straightway disclosed his motives of mere monetary gain. At the same time, we think he would have displayed as much logic had he proposed th^t tho State should undertake the manufactue of cheap chainlightning whiskey, on the grounds that the makers of that mysterious compound were reaping enormous profits through large quantities cf it in New Zealand.
