RACING PERMITS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VII, Issue 2030, 17 August 1920, Page 5

RACING PERMITS.

SUGGESTED INCREASE. PROTEST FROM CHURCHES. "The Council of Churches protests against the proposal contained in a Private Member 'a Bill now before Parliament to substantially increase the number of totalisator permits in the Dominion. The council urges on the Government the unwisdom of opening further avenues for extravagance and waste, in view of the economic situation. The council believes, on moral grounds, that the proposal is retrograde, and that it will be deeply resented in the country. The council suggests that such grievously overraced centres as Christchurch and Auckland could profitably supply permits to a considerable extent." Such was the motion passed at the meeting of the Council of Chun lies last evening. The Rev. \Y. Ready, who tabled the motion, said that gambling was the upas tree poisoning the community, morally and economically. Last year £17G,.'!41 was invested on the totalisator —this year it was £213,475. It was a moral insult to increase racing permits. Members of Parliament had said thero was no protest against an increase iix permits, and that the churches had not clean hands. The churches did not deal in rattles to increase their revenue. They were told that they must go in for increased production and economy. Nothing killed production like gambling, and it killed economy too. Hundreds of men were away from the farms, and offices were closed down. Meanwhile, accounts remained unpaid. The time had come to roduce the permits—even to sweep racing off the board altogether, and give the country a chance to rise to commercial soundnoss. The chairman (Rev. W. J. Williams): It is a degradation to trie community that offices should be closed. 1 have not seen the case against an increase in racing placed more forcibly than in a leader in The Sun. The leader pointed out how carpenters, painters, everybody, downed tools. They ought to acknowledge the services which Tin: Sux had rendered in a cause that all had at j heart. Another paper h;td stated that | flat racing produced "weedy" horses and "weedy" men. Nothing more condemnatory of racing ever fell from the lips of even Mr North than that stateI incut. To speak of the production of I "weedy" horses was not so bad, but when it was said that "weedy" men were bred, they must feel warranted in entering a protest against such conditions, ami feel certain that they were not discredited by adverse criticism in the newspapers. The motion was carried.