GAMBLING AND INTEMPERANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13355, 8 December 1906, Page 4

GAMBLING AND INTEMPERANCE.

DISCUSSION AT THE METHO-

DIST SYNOD.

TOTALISATOR AN "INFER-

NAL MACHINE;"

The questions of gambling and intemperance were touched on yesterday at the annual Methodist Synod. The total abolition of the totalisator and the lessening of gambling were advocated.

The Rev. Mr. Duke moved in regard to gambling as follows:—"That -this district Synod deplores the fact that there are unmistakable evidences that the gambling of to-day is largely in excess of previous times, and regards the Government's sanction and permission to use the totalisator as largely responsible for the evil. The Synod is gratified to hear that the Premier's promised Bill aims at the suppression of sundry forms of gambling, but while the totalisator is retained, it is convinced that all such efforts are both nugatory and inconsistent. The proposal to increase the percentage on the machine and apply the same to charitable objects is especially repugnant to the moral sense of the colony, and calculated to givo it a long tenure of existence. Believing that gambling in any form is essentially evil and detrimental to the best interests of the community, the Synod implores the Government to introduce a Bill for the abolition of the totalisator, and in other ways, to legislate for the lessening of gambling." '

The mover said that tho only solution of the gambling problem was the absolute abolition of the totalisator! (Hear, hear). The latest attempt to clothe tho machine in the charitablo garb was most ■ repugnant. For local racehorse-owners and sportsmen to say so much about the abolition of .the totalisator was something bordering on indecency, because they were making something out of it. (Applause).

The Rev. J. J. Mather said that he knew as much about gambling as anyone in the Synod, if not more. There was another evil besides the totalisator, he said, that should be mentioned, and that was the sweeps. Tattersall's sweeps had had more to do with the corruption of their church life than the totalisator. He knew of members of. their Church who had put money into the sweeps and had actually won money, and yet they had not been put out of tho Church. They should protest as a church against any . industry or system which tended to the corruption of the people. So far as their Church was concerned, experience in the suppression of gambling had not been a very cheerful one. Before they cleansed the people the Church itself should be cleansed. The speaker also said that it could be proved that the Church itself had been hypocritical 6n this question. The Rev. Thos. Fee said that he did not know any Church with as wide dimensions that was freer from gambling than the Methodist Church. Since this "infernal machine," which, he said, the totalisator really was, - had been introduced, gambling had grown like a mushroom. He spoke strongly against the country receiving benefits from gambling. - Other members of the Synod spoke regretting that tho Rev. J. Mather had brought tip the Church aspect of the question as he had done. It would, said the Rev. Mr. Spence, tend to weaken rather than strengthen their hands in tho endeavour to further the anti-gamblinfe cause. The Rev. G. Bond, while admitting that Mr. Mather's remarks were quite in order, did not agree with them. He (the speaker) had had charge of some large circuits, and ho did not know of any of the officials having gambled. However, before he took charge of a church some time ago a member of it had had gambling transactions, but, in that case the offender had been deposed. That, however, was, in the speaker's experience, an isolated case.

The motion was put to the meeting and carried unanimously, and it was decided to send a copy to the Colonial Secretary. Tho following motion, moved by the Rev. Thos. Fee, in respect to temperance, was carried unanimously, and without discussion:—"That this Synod records its thankfulness to the Almighty God for the rapid growth of temperance sentiment in this colony, as evidenced by the magnificent vote ■in favour of no-license, recorded at the- last local option poll. It is delightful to hear of the success of no-license wherever it has received a fair trial and has been honestly and faithfully enforced, and it horjes that the time is not far distant when the liquor traffic which is a principal source of crime, poverty, disease, and premature death, shall be abolished in every electorate in the colony."