EVILS OF GAMBLING.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 159, 7 July 1926, Page 11

EVILS OF GAMBLING.

DEPLORED BY BISHOP SPROTT, JTEW MENTALITY ARISING. THE GET-RICH-QUICK SPIRIT. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") WELLINGTON', this day. Addressing the Wellington Diocesan Synod yesterday. Bishop Sprott dealt with llil , evil* of gambling and betting. It was a matter. In , thought, demanding the iim.-i earnest ('.iisiileration of all ■n-iio desired the welfare of the Dominion. Referring to the increased prevalence of the bishop believed it to be a fact that gambling was becoming increasingly prevalent in British countries. New Zealand included. He believed that this increasing prevalence was recognised to be a most menacing evil, not only by people who. like himself. •were inclined to regard the act of gambling as being: essentially unethical, but also by many thoughtful persons who held that in itself such an act was entirely innocent, and only became evil when indulged in tv excess. But. the bishop rontiniicl. lie was not sure that all recognised the extent and nature of the evil coiiseijiiences of the prevailing habit. ■ It" asked to name those evil i-uiisequi-tii-es. lie thought many would point to such cases as misappropriation of money, as appeared from time to time in the courts, and •were admittedly traceable to the lure of gambling. He did not think the evil of crambling was at all confined to the temptations to dishonesty which it presented. He suspected that there were more such cases than ever appeared in the courts. He imagined that employers often, perhaps too often, contented themselves with summarily dismissing a delinquent. They did not want the bother of legal proceedings, nor did they wish to put the stigma of a conviction upon a young fellow ■who had still p>t to make bis way in the world. Perhaps relatives or other friends came forward to make good the defalcations. But. be such cases few- or many. Dr. Sprott went on, they did not, in his opinion, exhaust the evil consequences of gambling, especially when, as in British countries, it had become general throughout the community. . Human nature was impatient of regular work. It wanted to acquire competence at a stroke, without trouble, without laborious accumulation little by little. Now, owing to the prevalence of gambling, the social atmosphere was vibrant with the suggestion as to how that might be achieved. A gambling mentality was being developed, which he was convinced had not a little to do with that dislike of steady work which was becoming a menace to the Empire. He hoped the Prime Minister would legislate in accordance with the pronouncement he recently made on the subject.