"TOO HOT"

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 120, 23 May 1941, Page 9

"TOO HOT"

GAMBLING FOR FUNDS

PATRIOTIC PURPOSES

STRONG OBJECTION

The methods by which some of the /money has been raised for patriotic purposes, with particular reference to forms of gambling, were strongly criticised at a meeting of the New Plymouth patriotic committee's executive. ''There is no doubt about it, things have got a little too hot," remarked Mr. A. B. Witten-Hannah.

A motion was put forward to the effect that a direction ■be given to all persons or organisations granted permits for entertainments or appeals that the executive strongly .disapproved of the excessive use of forms of gambling as a means of raising money for patriotic purposes.

It was pointed out by the mover (Mr. •Witten-Hannah) that, while they were fighting the war as a righteous war, people spent Saturday nights gambling and then on Sunday morning attended services of intercession. He was not acting in a self-righteous way, as he was prepared to take his share of the responsibility for allowing it to go on. He specifically used the word excessive, as it was not the things themselves that were harmful, it was their abuse. Mr. Witten-Hannah said that he was not casting any reflection upon the people in charge.

The Mayor (Mr. E. R. C. Gilmour), who is chairman of the committee, said that fortunately he had not been where there had been any great excesses, nor did he know or want to know of any. What another person did had nothing to do with him, as it took him all his time to carry on as he knew to be right. He could not conceive of any excessive gambling in private homes, though he appreciated that people had done a lot in their anxiety to get the money. Indeed, if it had not been for the queen carnival the district would not have secured its quota. The carnival, with its gambling, as Mr. Witten-Hannah called it, or with its raffles, as he called it, had passed. "SOME THINGS NOT CREDITABLE." Crown and anchor boards were not little raffles, said Mr. Witten-Hannah. Notice of motion should be given so that members of the general committee could als© express their opinion, said Mr. C. E. Bellringer, who agreed that some of the things done were not creditable. It was not much use passing a resolution over things that were past, but the committee should decide that if similar activities took i place in the future it would be strictly laid down that certain types of things were not included in the permit, Mr. F. Davis contended. Mrs. W. C. Weston remarked it seemed that the committee knew what was going on and did not try to stop it, but now that the money had been collected had become righteous. Mrs. Weston had hit the nail on the head, said Mr. P. E. Stainton. Rightly or wrongly, the committee must accept its share of the responsibility. AN AFFRONT. Some of the things had been an affront to a large body of citizens, said Mr. Davis, who commented that while people under age were debarred from investing on the totalisator at a racecourse, totalisators at the carnival were open to children. The committee could not do' more than resolve that permits would only be given for such "ctivities as the committee considered desirable and that any activities not included in the permit,, such as crown and anchor, would lead to the withdrawal of the permit, said Mr. Davis, in moving an amendment, which was accepted by Mr. Witten-Hannah in place of his resolution and carried. Mr. Bellringer commented that no one would be given permission to run crown and anchor or the totalisator game.