THE GAMBLING EVIL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 178, 28 July 1903, Page 2

THE GAMBLING EVIL.

(To the Editor.**

Sir __We have so often been told that we cannot make people good by Act of Parliament that we know the lesson thoroughly. We, therefore, ask some more cogent reason why our Acts of : Parliament are not more helpful to good ! and moral conduct? It is admitted on , every hand that gambling is increasing very considerably. It is also admitted that the totalisator is making it easy for all who wish to obtain money without a quid pro quo. Yet in the face of these admissions the second reading of Mr Ell's bill on the subject was negatived by 34 to 14 (when we find that only four members were returned by a majority vote perhaps we may cease to wonder). The mischief is done now, for ho many, have inured themselves to gambling that their eyes are blinded to the evil; but surely Government ought to cease to make money out of the demoralisation of the people, for no matter what surplus there may be in the Treasury, if we are .deteriorating in character we are a decaying colony. I am glad to see Mr Ell is not discouraged", Out is appealing for the referendum. There is one other check which might be put upon gambling, and that is reducing thenumber of races. Let Parliament decree that only a certain number shall take, place in the year, and those only on statutory holidays, and, let them veto any Parliamentary holidays ou account of races. "'Practice more than precept sways," therefore, our M,H,R,'s should not only make moral laws, but live up to them. There is no difficulty in keeping the weekly half-holiday rigidly. Why si ould there be any difficulty in putting an end to gambling through the post office? And why should our papers publish the gains and not the lossse? Let them publish those cases where women tell their tradesmen they cannot pay because they lost all at the races, aud beg of them to give them a joint of meat for Sunday, and where a man had a comfortable home and lost it by gambling; tell us something of the bitters as w*ell as the sweets of a gambler's life. One has only to look into the faces of confirmed gamblers to see whether the practice is conducive to nobility of character or not. Of so grave a nature is the tendency of this and the smoking evil that it is incumbent on every man and woman having one spai*-": oi humanity in chem to use whatever influence they have to stamp out these evils before we are a ruined race. —I am, etc., A.D.