THE ALTAR OF LUCK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22142, 22 June 1935, Page 17

THE ALTAR OF LUCK

Sir—Thursday's Herald gives an astonishing account of the way the South Australian Government is revealing a reckless attitude to its responsibility for the uplift of its people, in its definite encouragement of gambling. It apparently is willing to pay the price of a moral and social decline for a balanced budget. The report tells us that in this State, outside of the totalisator operations, the bookmakers in 11 months handled over 20 millions of betting tickets. Attention is also arrested by this report of the number of small sums tickets, showing, of course, an insidious education thereby. Some time back surely every thoughtful man passing down our Auckland Queen Street must have had his conscience stirred in beholding penny tickets being sold by a vendor of some "art union" or other. How treacherous such a proceeding is to the bright youth of this fair city, in thus giving them such an easy step into this downpnlling fascination. A community drift in perilous directions only needs the stimulation of sliding paths with barriers and defences broken or unlocked. Even in this lovely city, a decade shows a contrast in our attitude publicly to God-given prohibitions, like Sunday observance. Those who should guard this priceless possession are ready to barter it for the mess of pottage of brief pleasure and flout any restriction. And in like manner, all down our streets you see respectable men and women dealing out to maturity and age and to the young and- fair, dockets for the Government's many licensed gambles. How can such things be tolerated and countenanced ? Has the Christian conscience become deadened? It has been said that the top and bottom sin of modern society is cowardice. Will our leading business men be willing, rather than face unpleasantness, to aid by their silence, our drift, like chips on the stream of decadent citizenship? A. S. Wilson. Mount Eden.