STATE LOTTERY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23220, 14 December 1938, Page 16

STATE LOTTERY

SUGGESTION OPPOSED PROTEST BY PRESBYTERY CREATING NEW GAMBLERS Renewed protests agaiiist the suggestion of the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. VV. E. Parry, that a State lottery should bo established in New Zealand, were made by the Presbytery of Auckland last night. A letter was received from the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, stating that he would carefully note an earlier protest forwarded by tho moderator, the Rev. R. Ferguson Fish. The Rev. J. W. Smith, convener of tho public questions . committee, moved that the action of the Moderator in sending the protest should be confirmed. Ho said tho fact that Mr. Parry had suggested the holding of State lotteries because people wer6 sending thousands of pounds out of the country for overseas consultations, had immediately encouraged them. ' Objection Renewed Tho Presbytery endorsed the action of tho moderator in protesting against the establishment of a State lottery as suggested by the Minister, and renewed tho objection on the following grounds:— ■ > • (1) That it is not in the . public interest that the gambling habit should bo further stimulated by State approval and tho provision of additional facilities; (2) that there is no guarantee that the money at present leaving the country for overseas _ lotteries will be retained by the provision of local facilities; (3) that it is much more likely that many new gamblers wili be created by the new facilities, and that many will bo from growing youth. An Expensive Luxury (.4) That, a lottery is an expensive luxury which fastens a number of parasites on the workers, and that tho experience of other countries proves that the, standard of living is lowered by gambling habits, and that legitimate business is made unnecessarily difficult; (5) that in view of the introduction of social security with its great cost, there is something fundamentally unsound in stimulating an interest in insecurity with its attendant waste. Tho Presbytery recommended that, in view of the introduction of a proposal for a State lottery, ministers should take an early opportunity, if they had not already done so, of impressing on congregations the Christian's obligation to use all his possessions as unto God.