THE TOTALISATOR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 14427, 18 July 1907, Page 2

THE TOTALISATOR.

TO THE EDITOR. /I _ Sit, —The letter appearing over the ] signature “ Pro Bono Publico” in your, paper the other morning is the best., to' my mind, that has been written over j that time-honoured nom de plume for; many u day. It certainly outlines thebest plan that has yet been brought j forward whereby the mind of the people J can really be tested with regard to the 1 abolition of the totalisator, 1 If those ! enthusiasts who have laboured so ear-j nestly in the cause would take the maifcj ter up on the lines suggested, there la no doubt whatever that, nest to that I referendum, no such good result is to * be obtained by any other means. i I have another object in writing as i well as to pay the above well-deserved, tribute, and that is to draw attention 1 , to the extreme danger there is in delay- I ing action in connection with stamping' out this curse which has spread itselfover every portion of our beautiful land. If the friends of reform will ■■ look up the enormous. amounts of / money that are now handled by the' machine, they will begin to realise thatl the clubs are becoming immensely rich, I and in many cases they are at a loss./ to know what to do with the vast/ amounts of money which the poor fools' have emptied into their coffers, i - For/; many years past the clubs have beeaequipping themselves with magnificent' courses, and in some cases they, boldly claim, that in no part of the world, is racing carried on in a more up-to-date or luxurious fashion. Everything, that money can procure is provided to make the game more seductive to . the dupes who are to provide the sinews of war; In this, of course, they are only following the custom that has always obtained in every part of the world where . any body or syndicate have obtained. by legislation the right to exploit the . public by establishing any method of. open gambling. The most notorious of present-day establishments is the in-' famous Monte Carlo, but we read of • similar places having been in existence. in various parte of the world at different periods, and in every instance the i poor moths were attracted .by the dazzling splendour, pomp and magui- • licence which was to lure them to destruction. , ■ j It is in this accumulation of money, then, that the greatest danger lies, and - I have no hesitation in affirming that if the racing clubs of this country have five more years of prosperity, similar in its expansion and increase of profitableness to that of the last few years, ■ they will be in a position to strangle ■ any legislation brought forward for their extinction. No doubt this statement will be stigmatised • as -an exaggeration by some of the reformers who have not studied the matter from tbs point of view taken up by the writer, and by the enemies of the cause my remarks null be scouted as the unstudied vapouring® of the enthusiast! but I wish to impress on all who have the welfare of our beloved country at heart that the danger is a real one, and that gamblers and those who profit by the operations of gambling institution* have in every land proved that nothing is sacred when an attack is being made on their strongholds, and that' every effort is put forth to defeat the end® of those who are working for righteousness. In their determination to attain self-protection they would make an onslaught on the very fount® of justice, and the source of our laws would be corrupted, if it were possible that suck a. condition could be brought about by, the weight of money. Let us be up, then, and.hasten to tb« Master’s work, for there i® no time to delay, and let our motto be “ No compromising, but stamp out the whole miserable system, root and branch.” —I am, etc., AREG. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —in answer to “ Pro Bono Publico,” will you kindly allow; me to say that the members of the Women’* Christian Temperance Union have for some weeks been for signatures in favour of the abolition of the totalisator, but would be glad to receive assistance in this campaign from those who are in sympathy with the above object. To ministers of all denominations petition-forms have been forwarded, with a request that they would allow such to be placed in the porch of their churches, and also that they should induce members of their congregation to sign. But the 1701116111 who are carrying on this agitation would be very glad to receive - further assistance from all ministers, and other sympathisers, and believe that, as your correspondent suggests, a practical way would be for clergymen of all denominations to form themselves into a committee, and to arrange tor a public meeting, in order to arouse the enthusiasm of the people on this question. May I also be allowed to say that: the Women’s Christian Temperance Union , throughout New Zealand are engaged in circulating petition-forms, and canvassing for signatures. Thatour members are active iu ■ their endeavour to abolish the totalisator the opposition; and misrepresentation of the Dunedin Jockey Club amply proves. .Hoping that help may bo forthcoming from those who are anxious to see the gambling machine abolished, —I am, etc., ( PRESIDENT W.C.T.U.. i New ZmlrwL j