HYDRA-HEADED GAMBLING EVIL

Evening Star, Issue 19410, 19 November 1926, Page 2

HYDRA-HEADED GAMBLING EVIL

INSOLENT AND DEFIANT AGGRESSIVENESS A METHODIST RESOLUTION [Special to the ‘ Star.’] CHRISTCHURCH, November 18. At the meeting of the Methodist Synod of North Canterbury district, the f ollowing', mot'on was carried:— The hydra-headed gambling evil has reached in this country such a pitch of insolent and defiant aggressiveness as to create a situation alarming in relation to morals. _ It is true that a review of the spring race meetings for the last seven years in the four chief centres shows a decrease in totalisator investments; on the other hand, tho still more subtle and dangerous form of gambling in the shape of blatantly advertised art unions,' with enormous stakes and comparatively trivial investments, has rapidly increased. There was a promise made by the Prime Minister that a stop should be put to this growing scandal, hut the mischief on a large scale is still going on. The huge sums invested in racecourse gambling, in art union tickets, and in all sets of private sweeps for ’all sorts of purposes constitute a grave menace to ’the moral, industrial, and economic interests of tho community.

The motion continued that the warnings that were issued from political leaders, and echoed in the newspapers, concerning the need of thrift and economy in view of tiie industrial outlook sounded as the veriest hypocrisy and humbug, in view of the countenance given by such leadeis and newspapers to the vice that more than anything else laughs the idea of thrift to scorn. It was only fair to tho Prime Minister to say that he had given an assurance that there would be no farther sanction to the class of art unions complained of beyond press at commitments, which would be exhausted next March. There was a loud call to the church, especially in its work among young people, to strip this vice of the mock and delusive respectability given to it by Government sanction, and to show it up in its true light as essentially selfish and anti-social, fundamentally destructive of healthy economic and moral relationships.