THE EVILS OF CAMBLING.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10505, 13 July 1910, Page 2

THE EVILS OF CAMBLING.

(Per PItESS Association.) Christehureh. .julv 12. Camliliiiir was one of til- subjects discussed at the niceiing of the Christchurch Presbytery this morning. The iiev. C. Murray moved that this: Pre-,-.bytery i-- strongiy .>;"• opinion that the Cov.'i-iiiiic;!! r-ricd in h-gnii.-.ing trie posi- ■ :'(-as((l facilities for gambling have., been provided by the State, and have been increasingly taken advantage of to the moral deterioration of the people. re. view o; the above the Presbytery strongly i;rgts tin- early repe: I of the b-w establishing the ',:n.::n:,.,-:,' (-ailing, and calls the Premier's atteneVn to the fact that the General Assembly of the Church lias expressed its opinion In favor of the abolition of the totalisa- : .r. -Mr Murray emphasised the. evil influence of gambling on the community, ami especially on the young people. The Moderator (Dr Erwini said th.-i v h's opinion was that the totalisator was responsible for a large increase in the gambling spirit in Neve Zealand. When he came to New Zealand it was bad form for ladies to gamble, but now iedhs, without the slightest ' hesitation, put their investments on the totalisator. foe machine- had made gambling a respectable thing. He was further of opinion that the totalisator was responsible- for the spread of racing. The metropolitan clubs could support theni•elves and have a good programme irrespective of the totalisator, bur number?: of small racing clubs could not exist without it. When all had been said about the bookmaker that could be said, the thing that was a spreading cancer in the community was gamblim" '•"!>"<•.• had been a !.houier in'legalising the bookmaker, and now two forms of betting were rampant on racecourses. The motion was' carried.