ANTI-GAMBLING LEAGUE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11188, 10 August 1898, Page 6

ANTI-GAMBLING LEAGUE.

:,.. • ~ to; the edjtor. .:■■•.■;■.■. ...,..:,■ '...- Sir, —Dunedin seems to■-.have-'a :mania- fc*. , [leagues. Many of .them ■ prove to- be ■: short- !"■ lived, and others lead a precarious existence. The latest is the Anti-gambling Leaigue. It seoms to me the main idea is to put down gambling in connection' with horse;raci.ngj So long as horses are run men 'will, gamble; '.'. and so long as man's nature remains what it. ia the spirit-of gambling denied one'outlet '• will readily find - another. I have known ''• young men in the habit of betting on thb number of repetitions of a certain word.or phrase in the course 6f a sermon. Gambling • is apparently inherent'in man's uriregenerated nature. Mankind is gradually evolving; to a higher plane, arid the churches are . Helping ; very materially the general''upward ■iriovo- : mont. There are classes, however, that the churches, through inherent defects, fair to reach—for instance, the'lowest strata, (only just tapped here and there .by that noble band, the Salvation Afmvl and the, higher . strata (comprising nearly all scientific, men and thoughtful inquiring minds, not satis- ..' fied to wimply shut the, eye and'open- the mouth to take in all the dogmas and doctrines the churches insist upon). , ''..'■' Under present trade conditions.nearly.every .. business is more or. less a gamble. . For instance, there ,is a tradesman who has -saved- ■ up a little money. He opens a. shop, and plants.himself in a place with a similar'busi- . ness on either side. He says where;two.can make a living a third, with, energy, and push and cutting prices, should do well.- In a fe\y. : rrionths.his money, : is ; .lost -^ .an unlucky gamWe; or one of ;his,noighbpurß;auccuinbs, ' ■ and that means a lucky gamble, r ■-,■:' . :Let mo suggest, to. the' Ministers'. Agsocia-. . tion something practical and urgent., Lot ' . them'print and. send 1 extracts from Dr.Mac-i Gregor's report on, the- asylums - with'a circu- : lar to every- minister iri the colony, and ask them to read the, extracts and comment on same to their congregations. Further, communicate with the chairman of every public body in the colony. If funds are required' Lo carry out the suggestion, can anyone doubt that the means will be forthcoming?—l am, etc., . ' ' • . Dunodiu, August 9. ■ Practical.