CHURCH RAFFLES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22316, 29 April 1947, Page 6

CHURCH RAFFLES

RIGHT SOUGHT OFFICIAL REQUEST CATHOLIC EDUCATION (P.A.) NAPIER, April 28. The Gaming Commission began a brief sitting at Napier this morning and will sit at Christchurch on Wednesday. “Nowhere does the law of God forbid gambling, provided no fraud, deceit or ini'ist.ice enters into it,” said the Rev. Father O. H. Seymour, speaking before the commission to-day in support of a petition seeking relief from certain restrictions on raffles and games organised for the benefit of bona fide charities. No Justification For Ban. “We have our own money and we can choose to renounce our possession of it in exchange for a lawful chance of winning a prize." said Father Seymour. There was, he added, no justification forbidding all such pleasures by law. .. The principal concern of the promoters' petition was the financing of heavy burdens of Catholic schools. The Catholic people paid rates and taxes ana. in addition, financed the whole cost of building, equipping and teaching in Catholic schools throughout the Dominion. The Catholic schools saved the Government at a low estimate £400,000 a year. Father Seymour, who said the petition was presented with the approval of Archbishop O'Shea, asked that the Minister of Internal Affairs be empowered to grant a permit for raffles, art unions and games for bona fide charitable and educational purposes. In reply to Mr. Justice Finlay, Father Seymour said that ethically there was no wrong in gambling, but certain forms of gambling might be conducive to public injury and these should be restricted. To a further question by His Honour, Father Seymour said if the church received State aid for its schools, it would not be asking for permission to hold raffles. His Honour: You would rather have State aid than raffles? Father Seymour: A thousand times, sir. Totalisator For Dog Meetings A claim for the legalisation of a 5s totalisator for greyhound racing was presented to the commission by John Hannan, oi Mariere, King Country, who has designed and installed track equipment which will be demonstrated to members of the commission at a special greyhound meeting in Napier to-night Proposals for all off-course betting, to be bandied by a registered company, were submitted to the commission by J Winter, farmer, of Tutira, near Napier. Witness claimed that the operation of such a company would yield £2.437,500 annually in revenue to the State. All betting through the company's offices would be on a cash basis.