THE EXHIBITION LOTTERY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 14, 16 January 1914, Page 7

THE EXHIBITION LOTTERY.

A <METHODIST PROTEST. A largely-attended meeting of the Home Mkeion Executive of New Zealand Methodiem was held in the Board room of the executive on Thursday. The Rev. G. Bond was >in the chair, and visitors were present from both Wellington and Dunedin. The following resolution was unanimously carried after eeverad had spoken strongly in ite favour: "That thie Home Mission Executive Committee of the Mcthod.iet Ohurch of New Zealand enters its most emphatic protest against the granting of a permit to condUct a lottery in connection with the Auckland Industrial Exhibition. 'It does ( bhifl (1) because it believes that gambling contributes to and promotes one of the greatpet and most deplorable of our national vices—a vice that has already made very eerious inroade upon *he moral perceptions of the community, and if permitted to continue must further deebroy the pruWie conscience; (2) becaaieo the Exhibition is an enterprise in which the whole of the Auckland people have an interest, and "the granting of a permit for a lottery in connection therewith compels a large proportion of the community to either attend under conditions ■which they strongly condemn, or elee to hold aloof altogether, anrl &o to withhold support they would gladly give; (3) be-ca-nee it is an industrial exhibition, and whatever eke may be said in favour of loiterieß, by no stretch of the imagination ca-n it be said that they harmonise with or help the i-nd'iietnia'l progress of the community. We therefore, on -behalf of the Methodist Churcli of the Dominion, urge upon the Prime Minister the neceseity of an immediate revocation of tie permit given, and- we respectfully request Hie Exhibition executive to prohibit every -form of gambling in connection with the Exhibition."