Racing1 and the Churches

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XI, Issue 241, 15 October 1921, Page 2

Racing 1 and the Churches

AOVSCE TO REV. J. J.WORTH. MORE FROM THE “SPORTING PARSON. ” The Rev. Jasper Calder who recently preached in Auckland urging tho church dignitaries to discontinue abusing race courses and those that frequent them, and attempt some constructive work in the direction of racing reform, sends to the Christchurch "Press" the following letter which explains itself:— "The Rev. J. J. North is the only man who has ever. dragged me into newspaper correspondence in my life. 1 am therefore a maiden sprinter while he is a welter weight. 1 do not propose to enter into a controversy upon the subject of racing, but 1 wash to put his reverence right and make him keep from boring me in on to the rails, in my address 1 did not accuse the Christchurch Counci’, of calling racing men scoundrels, etc. I said that in my opinion it was a pity that Mr. Isitt and his friends (if correctly reported) called racing people rogues, vagabonds, thieves, etc. 1 cannot therefore apologise to Mr. North, having done him no wrong. ‘•1 am coming to your beautiful city for Carnival Week. 1 want to look up an old friend of mine, name Dilkon. His front name, 1 understond, is Author. Perhaps Mr. North will look me up... 1 shall leave my address with the secretary of the Trotting Club! "With reference to Dean Harper’s letter, I should like to commend its kindly tone. 1 suggest, however, that the Dean doesn’t really require tho House of Lords to do his thinking for him. If he got (or if Mr. North got) the point of emphasis in my address they would both see that in a nutshel 1 . my remarks boil down to this: We admit reform is needed in racing. Abuse will not help. Contact may. Think how clean racing would have been if Mr., North and the Christchurch C.C.C. were stewards of the Christchurch M.T.C., or C.J.C., or N.B.T.C. Instead of getting into the fight with men, the opponents of racing seem more at homo in Y.M.C.A., W.C.T.U., M.U., and G.F.S. ‘‘No, Sir, I. can’t apologise for something I have not done. If I have unconsciously hurt the feelings of anyone in Christchurch by my remarks, or by this my maiden letter, I apologise beforehand. Anyhow, it was Christchurch who "dubbed” me "the SportParson" tho year Sinapis won the Cup. 1 wasn’t hurt, not on your life! In conclusion, let me say of tlie sermon that "if I’ve said anything 1 in sorry for, I’m glad I said it." “THE GAMBLING EVIL." MOTION BY BAPTIST CONFERENCE

Wanganui, Oct. 14. The Baptist Conference was continued to-day. The selection of officers resulted: —President, the Rev. W. IL Hinton; vice-president, Mr J. A . Parmett (Christchurch); conference sermon preacher, the Rev. A. 8. Wilson: 'deputy, tho Bev. Mr Hercus: editor of tho Baptist, the Rev. J. J. North; auditor, Mr Charles Collins; solicitor, Mr O. Mazengarb. On the motion of Mr North, the following resolution was carried: "The conference calls attention to the ominous spread of gambling, and that the licensing by the Government of the totalisator is responsible for the alarming growth of gambling in all classes of society. ’ ’ The conference believed the time had arrived for a nationwide movement against gambling, that clear teaching ought everywhere tb bo given on the social, economic, and moral perils of the gambling habit, that the circumstances of the day demand that the Governine.nt license for petty gambling in aid of philanthropic or religious purposes should be at once withdrawn.