RACING PERMITS

Evening Star, Issue 17429, 12 August 1920, Page 8

RACING PERMITS

CHRISTCHURCH PRESBYTERY’S PROTEST. [Special to ths ‘ Star. ’] CHRISTCHURCH, August 12. The Christchurch Presbytery resolved yesterday to protest to the Government against the granting of more permits for racing. The matter came up in a letter from the Rev. S. Robertson Orr, of Wellington, _ who stated that the racing clubs in seeking to obtain an increase in the number of permits said quite openly that the moral opposition had collapsed, and that there was no necessity for refusing them. Neither the Prime Minister nor the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon.. G. J Anderson) was keen to increase the number of permits, but they would be unable to decline unless representations were made from the other side. Members of Parliament with whom he had been in touch, in recommending that immediate action should be taken by the Presbyterian Church jilso suggested a movement for the abolition of the totalisator. The totalisator was increasing the facilities for gambling, and generally the sport was a waste of money and time ; also the request made to the Government should, in hie opinion, also contain a clause aeking that at least the number of permits be reduced. The granting of new permits would create a demand for still more. In recent years the number of permits had greatly increased, and gambling as a whole had increased. Tire money spent in racing represented almost a total loss to the community. The Rev. J. Paterson moved that a strong protest bs made against the proposed. increase in the number of racing permits, and that the protest be forwarder! ' ) the Prune Minister and the Minister Internal Allairs. He was astonished, • said, to read a recent leading article in inch oookmakers were described as paroles and various other “things. He wondered what particular glory or prestige hung round the totalisator that it escaped such censure. It had been urged that racing benefited the revenue and enabled more money to be spent on hospitals, for example. This was absurd. The community could easily find other ways of raising money for hospitals. Most people who went to races took no interest in the actual racing. They went for a small gamble pore and simple. It waa a strange commentary on the anortage of money and the high Cost of Living when the city shutin) for a week and devoted itself to racing. He was convinced that a protect should be made against the granting of more racing permits. “The totalisator has simply served-to make gambling respectable, said the Rev. Dr Erwin, “It is a good many years since I came to Christchurch, but I can say that the gambling habit is growing. I can remember when very few ladies gambled; but now one cannot ride in a tram without hearing them discussing their investments on particular horses.” The totalisator had assured a largo revenue to the racing clubs, and had made gambling a common practice with people who would never dream of going to a bookmaker. The motion was carried. *