GAMBLING FACILITIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20333, 14 August 1929, Page 9

GAMBLING FACILITIES.

"GRAVE SOCIAL MENACE."

PROTEST BY PRESBYTERY.

REPLY TO SIR E. MITCHELSON.

Tlie discussion in the Auckland Presbytery yesterday on Sir George Hunter's Gaming Bill and the spread of Iho gambling evil opened with a vigorous reply by the Rev. W. Lawson Marsh to Sir Edwin Mi tell el son's defenro of betting made at the annual meeting of the Auckland Racing Club. Mr. Marsh concluded by throwing out a challenge to Sir Edwin or to Mr. G. E. Major, or to anyone else they cared to nominate to debate the matter with him in public. The Presbytery unanimously adopted :i series of resolutions in strong condemnation of gambling.

As convener of the public questions committee, Mr, Marsh opened the subject, which had been set down as an order of the day. lie said that most opportunely much which he might have had to say had been rendered unnecessary by a speech of Sir Edwin Mitchelson, published in the Her alii that morning. Anyone who read it would see that they had from the president of the Auckland Racing Club an emphatic repudiation of the malpractices of bookmaker. The presbytery welcomed Sir Edwin to its side—.'<> far. (Laughter.)

Sir Edwin had said that instead of the churches foolishly opposing tho Gaming Bill their business was to eliminate the bookmaker, lie wished to say will) all the power at his command that it was not the business of the Church to eliminate the bookmaker, but the business of the State. Bookmaking was a crime in the eyes of the law. Sir Edwin made the very plausible and somewhat familiar statement that the inclination to bet. was inherent in every race and individual.

Degrading True Sport. So ;it one time was tho inclination to polygamy and to cannibalism, and to murder one's competitors; but the course of civilisation was for the suppression and elimination of these things, not their commendation. It was perfectly true that to take an interest in great sports was a natural part of the make-up of a full man; and lie supposed that even iri that reverent presbytery they all took an interest to some extent in great sport. 'Jo take a gambling interest in sport was not, the make-up of a full man, but to pervert and degrade all true sport. It brought down a man's mentality and uplifted his mendacity. Instead of making a full man iL made a fool of a man.

"We have now come to a time in the history of New Zealand when the Chris tiari Churches have to face up to the greatest social menace of to-day," said Mr. Marsh. "You may look upon drink as being the most fruitful cause of poverty, crime and other social evils. Those who have studied tho subject know well that in comparison with gambling the evil of drinking is a receding quantity." He was not suggesting that their opposition to strong drink should in any way bo lessened, but the increase of gambling, especially since the war, was one of the gravest menaces of the time.

Base Passion of Greed. Gambling appealed in* a noble instinct and therein lay its supremo danger. It appealed to the instinct of sport and adventure, but at the same time it appealed to the basest of human passions, namely, greed. Its effects largely arose from 'its stimulation of unhealthy excit.eIle had spoken of the moral and spivitual paralysis of gambling. Ine great betting commission which sat five or six years ago found much evidence of the dreadful incubus of tho gambling habit upon industry. In the experience of great industrial firms gambling reduced the efficiency of their employees to the extent of 20 per cent. A London police official said that it was the direct cause of 25 per cent, of' the poverty front which they were suffering. The habit of gambling was the etirsp of true sport. It was the thief of time ill industry. It was a heavy burden upon the State*. It was the cause of the ruination of many a young career. "AVo who are ministers know what a vampire it is in human life," said Mr. Marsh. "llow much does honest business lose everv week by it ? Lastly, and finally, it is the paralysis of the higher and finer nature. The whole gambling community constitutes a moral leprosy. It corrupts everything it touches, and it is the most serious temptation the police have to face. It makes use of no human excellence except to degrade it. The Presbytery's Finding.

Mr. 'Marsh submitted the following resolutions: tery draws attention to the alarming inciease of gambling in recent years. In 29 years (1892 1921) the totalisator returns increased per capita fourteenfohl. (2) The totalisator tends to popularise, and so increase, a habit which is a fruitful cause of degradation and poverty. Like other attempts to regulate instead of prohibiting vice, its ultifnate effect is to increase the evil. The Christian conscience of the community, therefore, can never consent to this form | of legalised gambling. (3) The proposed amending Act to the gaming laws by which the opportunities for gambling will bo further increased is a retrograde step. While it's avowed object is to eliminate the bookmakers its effect, in extending tho betting habit, will only facilitate their surreptitious practices. (4) In view of the grave moral, social and economic results" of gambling the presbytery proI claims its wholehearted opposition. to | gambling in every form and calls on the j Government not only to throw out the | proposed bill, but sternly to enforce tho ! present gaming laws, especially those i against the bookmakers, ami to face the question of reducing the present facilities for gambling. (5) Because the presbytery regards gambling to be a great menace (o the higher life of (lie people _ and an absolute negation of spiritual religion, it i calls upon all who care for the best m- ! terests of our land to strive for the total | abolition of a practice which corrupts and degrades everything it draws into its | use and which has not a single redeem- | ing feature. Education Programme.

The motion was seconded and supported I.V the Rev. I) C. Henon. Ho saj.l tmt the totalisator was a more. form of gambling because it. mado H mole respect a bio. Telegraphic facilities foi ambling would seriously nftcct business throughout the country, (.uniblin,, <K. ernded and blighted everything it touched. Tho onlv "true sport" was the man who would have nothing to do with S al " bl '"KIt was the dcahest enemy of the best factors of human nature and it was only the non-gamb!ers who were holding tho fabric of society togethei. , A positive programme ot nnli-gambhns education was advocated by tho hev. U. II Hunt, who said that in counting tho £8 500.000 put through tho totalisator the fact must be remembered that the same money might bo invested sevcra tunes. Juries would not convict bookmakers because they foil that the State was quilo inconsistent in its altitude to gambling. It, was agreed to remit the question of organising education among the young on the subject of gambling to the lilo and work committee, with a view to having tho, matter considered bv tho Oeneial Assembly. ~ , The resolutions moved by Mr. Marsh, after slight verbal alteration, were adopted in the form given above.