GAMBLING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11191, 13 August 1898, Page 6

GAMBLING.

TO THB EDITOK. : ; Sib,—As one deeply interested in the arrest of gambling, I .was' glad to ccc the initiative taken at Monday night's meeting 'io thr»t direction. Tbe vice ab present seems on ! (he inct-ease, and I have little hope of its I diminution so long as our Parliament legalises j (he totalisator aud taken a portion of its pro- ! ceeds to swell the general revenue. Ib is a j Y>e>i.ition which briugs us all into the same condemnation. If persons will gamble the; cun only I be reasoned with ; we may nob be able to do ! mors. But lhat those who recalcitrate ab the | whole thing should be compelled to participate, iv it, by force of an iniquitous law, is sometbing j altogether intolerable, Mr Saunders expressed the opinion that they could not hope to do much immediately with 1 the totalisator. If this is so, then I cau assure !my friend they will not do much in any other direction. Tbe sooner it in realised that the totalisator is largely responsible not only for tht encouragement but for the increase of betting the sooner will we come to bend our strength to the destruction of (his engine of mischief. Referring tho other day to tho defalcations of a clerk in the New Zealand Farmers' Co-operative Association at Chriatchurch Mr Ensor (the chairman of the ssgociationj remarked that from what he could learn gambling i was at the root of the evil. "The fact," he added, "was that the quiet, respectable, Government-supported machine, tbe totalisator, is drawing into its web aud coining 50 gamblers, not only men but women aud children, fo^every one that the noisy bookies were formerly responsible for." I am assured by those who have tho best opportunities of forming a correcb opinion that this is the simple fact. They tell ;me also that the speotacle'of how the machine lis rushed on race days is deplorahle. Men, of ! course, are there "joined to their idols," but i more sad to ace than these are tho crowds of 'lads—hardly young men, little more than mere ; boya—pushing and jostling around the totali- : sacor, greed in their eyes and fierce excitement !in their tones, staking money for themselves, . and almost invariably for their female frienda 'as well. What is to come of it all ? ! I tell you, Sir, with all the emphasis of which i I am capable, that cheap money, settlement on '■ laud, extension of railways. incre»se of trade— ! till excellent things in themselves—will help us I little unless we can lift op our youthful popula- ! tion ont of the sleugh of gimbling iv which they are. sinking. No money is worth caring for that is nofc the honest reward of work either of head or bands, and many of our youth arc utterly oblivious of this radical fact.. And our public men seem to treat the whole degrading ; business very much as a matter of course. The Premier says he is opposed to gambling, but he bas not a word against the totalisator, and i Captain Russell, the leader of ,the Opposition, 1 is » horsey man, and, of course, we can look for no help from him. The proceeds of the totali- : gator help to feed and train his racehorses— and "great is Diana of, the Ephesians."—l am, &c, ! August 9. William Hutchison. ! ■w^^i,^wT':^,-.e L,____? lj'^lT'i',l!-'" Mellin's Food for Infants and Invalids. Perfectly adapted for the youngest infant. Keeps good in all climates; free from animal germs. To be obtained from all druggists and stores. <