"THE ALTAR OF LUCK"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22144, 25 June 1935, Page 13

"THE ALTAR OF LUCK"

Sir, —Your correspondent, Mr. A. S. Wilson, Mount Eden, under the heading " The Altar of Luck," takes the South Australian Government most severely to task, because that Government has faced the facts, and incidentally in doing so, has found it possible to pay its way. 1 feel hesitation in advancing the opinion that were the Government of this country, equally with that so savagely castigated by your correspondent, to realise that gambling is inherent in genus homo, its balance-sheet might, sooner than it appears likely to actually balance. The hesitation I feel is due to the fact that I have only lived in New Zealand' for about four veai'S, whereas mj 7 South Australian residence ran into roughly thirty. I am however positive, that on much deeper than merely economic grounds, the present South Australian Government is to be congratulated on its acceptation of fact; men will gamble. Every farmer who seeds a field does so. just as every resident of Mount Lden, who buvs a share in an industrial concern risks his capital, while hoping for an enhancement thereof. "Why then, should not the State frankly admit a fact patent to every one ot its thinking rural or urban components? And in doing so meet its national obligations as your correspondent involuntarily admits, South Australia has done. I repeat, I have lived only a few years in this country and so feel diffident in advancing an opinion on such a matter, but has Mr. Wilson ever even visited South Australia? Leith Isafiek.