The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1906. THE GAMBLING EVIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12903, 14 February 1906, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1906. THE GAMBLING EVIL.

Social problems, like tic poor, ate .always with vs. and this because in roost instances it is impossible to find any mI;V--factory solution for them. Remedies of all sorts ami kinds are and some ate put on their trial, but theie are -always many people who declare that the i-emcdy' is worse than lie disease. A social reformer, in modern times, ins much scope far the exercise of his talents. And the. roan would 3>e hailed with delight who would discover the true remedy far. say, the drinking and gambling evils, r> take only two instances of matters that ate occupying the attention of many thinking people. That tht-se evils exist and ate' picking far a remedy we do nt think any one will deny. In Xew Zealand we have provided a simple tncans of dealing with the drinking evil It. remains to be seen, however, whether the local optii.n pull is a statesmanlike way of dealing with the drink problem, and whether th; remedy of Xo-License which it provides is going to solve it. With rega3'd to .the gambling evil the position is different. We have had attempts at legislation in the direction of minimising tha evil, bat they have not proved «tTectiveThe one provision that would hare proved effective, namely, that which compelled witnesses «n jeeeiving an indemnity to answer questions, even though they might thereby incriminate themselves, vrss deliberately rejected by Parliament, and the result is that many prosecutions under the Uaming Acts have proved fruitless-. This aspect of die matter is put Terjr forcibly in an article which appealed a few days •igo in Hie "Ofago Daily Timcj" from the pen of Mr John Macgregor. Mr Macsregvr points ont. as m.ist people will admit, that it is now ij,e duly «.f Parliament i« deal with thi« question: bin ii may well be doubted whether, in view of what 3ms happened in previous ye.a3-s. ■my honesi cttdcavour will be made during lie course of the present Parliament. Mr M.o.gretro.' <-(,nsiders that tie first step 1m be taken i tie abolition of tie t tabsai. r. and 5: v>o'.]il be idle .to say laat I n 'i-<= is j: •: a veiy :". . j'lj-.c. V.ishops and cl-;--|?y ■ : all denominations have for many ye.-rs woiked far legislation to abolish tie machine, and recently we have seen Judge* of tic Su-

prone Cowl and leading duly paper* inf ibe Jarpe <*»:»«* taking op the eame atlilode. TL«« can be no doubt litafc thflf machine dot* encourage gambling, and tbea« are plenty < I instance* of men, and women. t««, putting fatir money <* the marine when lher.*«wH p,nba.bly not gamble a- ali if ilwi* were no tota.liwt.or- There w an twraw „„„ <j rauner put the .KrtdiM,,* well 1* doubted whether lucre » anv jw*:tacaij<,n :.,r :he *tal* dwivirg a* large Jevtnne ft- w .-.a inrtrmnent of gambling. "a the «*!,«■ h,r,d it ih , u , ged ■ Uul t}|e m*<hmt <«♦-. M irimjl]Vi! irj li|e w . of tempting ..Jd* : it Kim] , k , ' , 1 IOTV « 7> "<v«<i»»cui, (1 f i,« ~;;„,, and :K «3^i:cv., Je m-ia.- cash If at w«« amoved tb« iuumv invest** on i* v..n.i c ,. i-n-Sr. u ie ll!mds , lf ~l i€ maker » a. lar won* evil thai, with (be Mtalwatur. It is saia that tin Jeaislnii n r;:n «t«p a man gambling anv more tlwn it■ stop him drinking; ther*fore lei as have a piopeily licensed ma*hin* for the midinm of bin gambling, in the same way That we have properly licensed bouse* foi :^ e medium of his drinking. In wmc couiark* where commimsjon* bare been ret up to ensnare into the best mean*; of dealing with the gambling evil, we believe rect«maie.-idsnir*njs bare -actually h*ea m.-'de j„ favour oi adopting Die totalisator. In Xew Ztr.:...nd we are inclined to think ib*t it i s -,,-i, j 3lt totolisator Hf< , t haK been whh :h«. ]i< <t iwi3 bar. and that w that a ? Te:n d*.-l of the ouUry again*; a: has beer. <'ue ■„ i U _; :tni se.* Thtie■M* f.-T tot. 3; ;n,y ].ciatists granted. There.

ran be no .• v .hX iir.it there is n growing fedjna ,-g.-iii>i ih* jnaf» ; j re . m $ ia

f lime tfj.i; fteling mny be strong enough (o oompd I J -,ilia:ntr,t to legislate once and for 3j], agair.v the machine. U jesis with the lacing ( ':-jb« and others iaUrarted to *-ee thnt the :;''ißft« in connection "with the toia3i«rjtor .-,3* mntd?ed. and if they wi«h lo Icwp the i-dr.-wage* which Hbe nse of tht joialiKat-i tbem they aratf not inn <joTjnter -. ., :hc f, wrc . e t ,i jj-afelic opinion.