RACING AND GAMBLING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18762, 16 July 1924, Page 7

RACING AND GAMBLING.

Sir,—"A Plain Woman" has opened rip a question which should interest /more than those financially interested in the racing business. I say* business, because any reasonable person knows that it is , not' sport. •-* "A Plain Woman'* states 1 that too much interference by those who oppose gambling should not he tolerated.- rJ Now interference is adopted by the State, or their representatives, the police, in all other forms of gambling except race- : course gambling. If a few young men are caught playing "two rip" £hey are brought before the Court and 'punished. Now, is the game of "two up" .as played between themselves, with no gate entry or race-card, no liquor booth and no IS ; per cent, deducted on each toss, as disas? trous to the players '.■ as the .'racecourse game? Counting the cost of the 15 per cent. tote, arid other expensea' incurred : by playing the racecourse game it is not much less than 20 per cent, on every toss of the gambler's money. "Civis," on the 14th iust., referred to the cruelty attached to racing. , He could not know all, as he mentioned that he never at- ? tended races. : I have seen of cruelty, I saw; m one mreek in 'Christ-: church at a National Meeting four unfortunateanimwls destroyed by: this sport. Last week in' Wellington two weire killed, and this happened under the gaze -Mid amusement of thousands of sports. We have had several jockeys killed during last.racing season at this clean sport. If this sport is so clean, why is it neces-ary to have an army of stipendiary Btewards and private detectives to assist to keßp it clean? Otheir sport 3 such as football, vcling, running, rowing, etc., do not need a private police force to keep sport clean. Seeing that we run more races than any other country per population . (in the world) I finally ask ?< A Plain Woman" to say should we have more races, as the racing magnates ask, and should gambling be checked by tho fol- , lowing methods:—-Licensing of , book- ~ makers, issuing of more tote, permits, opening of telegraph offices for the wiring of money to the tote., etc. 7 „ Pt.uk Mas.

Sir,—Your correspondent, "Fairplay," should recognise that when "A Ham Woman" prefaced her defence of racing • and gambling by a' protest against intolerance and interference with other people's rights and privileges, she drew a red herring across the trail. But only simpletons would allow sympathy evoked by protests against intolerance and interference to side-track their judgment from the real questions at issue. Intolerance is not wrong per se.: Otherwise it would Ibe wrong to /be intolerant of rapine and ;; murder. And if., tolerance in itself/were a virtue we should tolerate intolerance. : ! To squeal about intolerance in the abstract ! !is ridiculous. Interference with other : peaple's rights and privileges ia not neces- | sarily wrong. Otherwise all new legis- ! lation and all propaganda and effort to re- K j peal, amend or add to existing laws would be wrong. When the supposed rights and privileges of one are found to interfere with the alleged rights and privileges of another no ground is left on which to \ complain of interference. Plat JFaeeu