"DIRTY HANDS."

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 250, 21 October 1926, Page 18

"DIRTY HANDS."

CHURCH BAZAAR LOTTERIES.

GAMBLING OR, AMUSEMENT ?

DUNEDIN SYNOD DISCUSSION.

(By Telegraph —Special to "Star.")

DUNEDIN, this day

In the Anglican Synod the question of the lawfulness of raffles and lotteries at church bazaars being the theme, Archdeacon Fitchett quoted a pronouncement by Bishop Moorhouse io the effect that raffling is only co-operative purchase, whereupon the Rev. K. D. AndrewsBaxter sought to discredit that authority by the remark: "Bishop Moorhouse died worth £40.000. but did not leave a farthing to the Church."

This did not lead to any immediate retort, but when Dean Fitchett rose later on he also mentioned Bishop Moorhouse, saying that his Lordship when in Melbourne spoke of raffles as a "joint purpose of assignment by lot," and the Dean added: "I know Of no man of his time who exerted so powerful an influence in spreading Christian principles as Bishop Moorhouse did."

During further discussion on raffles, Archdeacon Fitchett remarked: "Why call upon the Synod of to-day to obey the Synod of tho past? General Synods," he said, "had at times done several foolish things." He strongly objected, too, to the expression now brought up again: "We keep our hands clean," the assumption being that others had dirty hands. That was the way with prohibitionists, anti-gamblers, and other faddists. They begged the question, and assumed that they were right and everyone else was wrong.

Dean Fitchett took exception to the use of the wdrds "immorality" and "gambling" in connection with raffles. It was not right to introduce tlieru. He quite agreed they were Very unfortunate in so-called aft unions Which appealed to greed, but these bazaar raffles were amusement. "Why, they ate practised by some of the best people I know," he added. "i cannot allow these epithets to be used Which beg the question and assume immorality."