THE SOVIET UNION AND GAMBLING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24944, 17 June 1942, Page 6

THE SOVIET UNION AND GAMBLING

Sir,—The tributes paid by leaders of the United Nations to the heroic resistance of the Russian people to the armed might of Germany have led me to re-read a diary which I wrote while travelling in Russia 11 years ago. One matter which interested me greatly was the attitude of Russian leaders to gambling. Gambling for money was forbidden on the ship on which we travelled to Leningrad. One night we were invited to attend a Seamen's Soviet. One of the items set down for discussion was whether each member of the ship s companv should give Saturday's pay or a subscription to provide a new military dirigible. An art union was not necessary to induce these seamen to give! In Moscow we visited a house of culture where we saw posters which are used to build up social opinion in the factories. I noticed one which very cleverly ridiculed the man who was too fond of gambling. In the course of conversations with young Russians we discovered that they despised gambling on the grounds that it was a carry-over of the acquisitive spirit of the old Czarist regime. In recent British oublications I discover that gambling is' a matter discussed in the plans for the new Britain. In an official report issued by the British Council of Churches entitled "Social Justice and Economic Reconduction," the following section appears:—" Dishonour will attach to gambling in all its forms as an irresponsible use of wealth and not least to market and exchange operations through which wealth changes hands witho- any service having been rendered. ..'.-.. Now in the light of the Russian example and the, British statement it is surely deplorable that in a community so far untouched by the ravages of war, gambling devices still have to be resorted to in order to raise money to provide comforts for our men in the armed forces. If simple Russian seamen can discuss the gift of one day's pay a week for their nations security, surely New Zealand citizens could give directly at least one day s pay a year to patriotic funds. I know that many people regard raffles, art unions and other such gambles as very innocent things, but do they build up in the minds of our young people, some of whom are already handling far too much money, that sense of responsibility which is the root of democratic citizenship? The Russian resistance which has won the admiration of free men has been the result of vears of hard work and unselfish devotion on the part of self-saprificing young people and of leaders who set them a good example. In my judgment much of our discussion about a new order in New Zealand is so much futility so long as we tolerate an annual drink bill of over £10,000.000, and a gambling account of over £8,000.000. Surely the experience of the past has taught us that nothing worthwhile is achieved in this world without altruism and discipline.—l am, etc., J. D. Salmond. Dunedin, June 15.