Associated Churches Gambling Evil Ins! Be Stopped

Northern Advocate, 7 January 1948, Page 5

Associated Churches

Gambling Evil Ins! Be Stopped

WELLINGTON, Wed. (P.A.)— “We j think the evil of gambling has such a hold on the community that the only j thing for a responsible Government i concerned with the wellbeing of the , people to do is to cry a halt, said tno. Rev'. P Gladstone Hughes, president of j the Associated Churches, commenting j on the gaming report. | The Associated Churches, he said, 1 were opposed to the extension of gambling facilities in every shape and | form. | They and their sympathisers would ! fully discuss the report before the ; matter was brought before Parliament. "We are conscious of the fact that racing interests paid no heed 1o the effort to prevent the assembling o. great crowds in order to prevent the spread of infantile paralysis they simply went on. suggesting thereby that the general welfare of the community is a matter of small consideration compared with the satisfaction ol the gambling urge,” he continued. The churches were pleased with the decision not to allow totalisator petrnits for dog racing, also with the iaci that a state lottery was not recommended. but the strenuous opposition ! to bookmaking expressed by the commission was weakened by the concessions in other directions. The recommendations concerning ,off-course betting appeared to mean j extension of betting facilities purely ■ and simply. j To provide off-course betting was i reallv trying to eliminate the book- | maker by putting up something else I instead of him.