Methodists Do Not Want Lottery Gift

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29908, 23 August 1962, Page 14

Methodists Do Not Want Lottery Gift

(New Zealand Press Association) GORE, August 22.

There had so far been no impartial judgment on the conduct of lotteries in this country, said the Rev. AV. J. Morrison, of Dunedin, at the Otago-Southland synod of the Methodist Church meeting at Gore today.

The synod was discussing public questions, and Mr Morrison introduced a motion concerning the Golden Kiwi lottery.

danger of church people becoming hypocrites by accepting money from local body sources whose funds were augmented by the Golden Kiwi. If funds from these sources were not accepted, one of the Church’s social services would have to close down. There was no doubt about it, he said.

The motion, which was adopted, called on the Church to be firm on its traditional stand against participation in lotteries and to refuse to accept or to apply for Golden Kiwi lottery funds. Lottery assistance tended to act against the real financial interest of the groups that received it, and other sources of income tended to dry up Acceptance of lottery aid encouraged a sponging attitude rather than one of selfreliance.

“All of us deplore the increase in gambling brought about by the Golden Kiwi," said Mr Gordon. The attention of the Church was being brought to the causes on which lottery money was being spent. “We should have another look at this matter. The public questions committee should bring down again the moral issues involved in gambling " Mr Gordon said Golden Kiwi money had been received for one of the Church’s social services projects, and had been sent back Some local bodies had their funds augmented by the Golden Kiwi, he said. “We should either take the money or not take it. and come out in the open about it. If we do take it, we must reserve the right to say what we think about gambling.”

The synod called for a royal commission to be set up to study and report on lotteries in New Zealand in view of the way the Golden Kiwi lottery had grown, because of the present uneasiness evident in the community and because no impartial body of opinion had deliberated on the issues involved.

The Rev F. Heppelthwaite (Dunedin) said an ethical case could be made out for gambling which could be thrown at the Church. It could be said that no-one was trusting all his possessions on the toss of a coin, and entering a lottery could be looked on as a friendly participation by members of the community putting their money up against that of someone else

1716 Rev. D. B. Gordon (Dunedin) said there was a