TOTALISATOR AND ART UNIONS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20010, 19 August 1930, Page 12

TOTALISATOR AND ART UNIONS.

METHODIST CHURCH PROTESTS. The following resolutions were passed ai a meeting of the North Canterbury Methodist District Executive last night by the unanimous vote of the members : "That in view of the magnitude of the gambling evil in New Zealand, this meeting of the North Canterbury Executive of the Methodist Church of New Zealand records its emphatic protest against this vice in all its forms; it deplores the action of the Government in granting permits for the holding of art unions; and strongly opposes the proposal to increase still further the facilities for gambling by "(1) The. suggestion to utilise the public telegraph for forwarding' bets, and "(2) The publication of totalisator dividends in the newspaper Press. "The meeting expresses its conviction that the totalisator has greatly augmented the volume of gambling and largely widened its area to the moral harm of the people, and at a time of grave economic crisis is withdrawing large sums of money from the productive channels of trade and industry; it is not satisfied that the present proposals will do away with the nefarious calling of the bookmaker, and it calls upon all who are concerned with public morality to resist the proposed amendments to the Gaming Act as being calculated to cause grave social injury. "That copies of the above resolution be forwarded to all load Members of Parliament, to the Prime' Minister, the Minister for Internal Affairs, Hie Leader of the Opposition, and the Leader of the Labour Pirty, and the Christchurch newspapers. "The North Canterbury District Executive of the Methodist Church expresses its appreciation of the action of the Christchurch City Council in persistently refusing, permits ' for the sale of art union gamble tickets in the puhlio streets of the City. It points out the action of the Council, entrusted with the good government of the City is being circumvented, and its policy flouted by the Government -in permitting the sale of these tickets in the 9pen recesses of the. Post. Office building past which hundreds of boys and girls go to and fro daily iii the" course of their work. "It also records equally strong protest at the action of the ißank of New Zealand in also running counter to the policy of the' City Council, by permitting similar ..facilities, technically..on the Bank premises, but actually on the public street."