RACING AND GAMBLING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4772, 25 January 1887, Page 2

RACING AND GAMBLING.

Thksb subjects seem to have had a lot of attention in different newspapers lately. People have been writing complaining of so many columns that should be better filled being occupied with " sporting " news — meaning the recorda of the great national gambling pastime. Some writers say it is eating at the colony's heart like a cancer, and urge the Press to do what it can to lessen the evil by giving reports of race meetings less prominence. They dwell on the ruin racing causes, and some of thorn urge the suppression of the totalisator. One public body has taken unusual action, too, for the Auckland City Council discussed a motion to abolish the total iaator as '• projudical to the best interests of tho burgesses of the city," but the motion was talked out. At Wanganui, too, there has been a little agitation to abolish tho totalisator bocauso it fosters so many small publicans' meetings. Of course tiny movement in this direction is always open to the suspicion of being prompted by the bookmakers, and then it can bo easily understood. A number of Racing Clubs in Canterbury have been alarmed because the bookmakers have offered totalisator oddß, so lessening the clubs' revenue from the percentage of the

totalisator money. They have held a meeting and decided on a plan to circumvent the bookmakers. The Wellington Post, however, hails tho action of the bookmakers as likely to do public good — which they seldom do— by lessening tho number of race meetings, so serving the "true interests" of sport, whatever they may be. The Post adds : "There is altogether too much racing in New Zealand. If through the bookmakers, or any other means, the number of meetings could be reduced by two-thirds it would be a great public advantage, and in the interest of genuine sport." Probably many will think it would be a still greater public advantage if the number could be reduced by three-thirds. Religious bodies also have been discussing the great and general gambling. At Auckland the President of the Wesloyan Conference remarked that, despite hard times, £32,000 was put through, the totalisator at one race meeting, and this represented only the legalised part of the gambling on one meeting. In Prussia the bookmakers have been lately suppressed, and, as a German paper remarks, " a strict supervision will be exercised over these gentlemen of the turf, and they will have to turn to an honest living if they want to become popular again in the eyes of the Iron Chancellor and his subjects." A decree abolishing the totalisator, however has been rescinded. Probably any amount of preaching from the pulpit and Press would not do much to lessen an evil which has grown to such huge dimensions. Perhaps the Press could do something indirectly by taking les3 notice of racing, but even that is doubtful. Only increasing hard times and change of taste are likely to lessen the gambling and the amount taken from the earnings of the workers to keep a hugo idle and generally disreputable class. As it is, an enormous number of the lowest of the low live op the folly of those who support racing. Time may gradually work a change for tho better, and that many will hope for. Some have asserted that the practice of gambling has become more general than it otherwise would have done had not gambling politicians had the gambling with millions. It may have had an influence indirectly in increasing it on account of tho general change of habits fehe great spending policy has effected, and money to gamble with might not otherwise have been so What will lessen the gambli^f will be' money getting scarcer — which it is so sure to do — and the more decent people now associated with racing ceasing to be so. The Wesleyan President ended his remarks thus: — " Everyone who has the real welfare and progress of the colony at heart must deplore the prevalence and growth of this gambling spirit. It is scarcely necessary for me to dwell upon the enormous evils it evolves and develops — the injury to youths by the reckless method (to use the mildest phrase) it engenders, and the magnitude of the losses and Buffering, both direct and indirect, to which it leads. The ruin and misery and corruption for which the gambling spirit is responsible are too well known to require an exhaustive treatment. Here, I think, however, the pulpit should be heard more diftinctly and more freely in the exposure of this great blot upon European civilisation ; and further, that the aid of the Legislature should be invoked, so that the law of the land may become more stringent and sweeping in its bearing upon this social corruption and fatal hindrance to the sound prosperity of the colony."