THE GAMBLING EVIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17189, 5 November 1923, Page 11

THE GAMBLING EVIL.

REV. J. J. NORTH’S SERMON. volvcs Christchurch in an outbreak of the anti-social vice of gambling.” said the. Rev J. J. North in his sermon at the Oxford Terrace Baptist Church last mgbt, “ Gambling is the most dangerous and deadly of all the vices in which decent people engage. I renew both my protest and my warning. Everv compliance with this custom is treason against I the well-being of society. Men who I wish their city well should be adamant. |.l am constrained to believe in charity that it is sheer ignorance of the sur- , r °unding facts and underlying principles which accounts for the patronage | accorded to the habit by many of whom other things might very well he ox peeled. Gambling is inextricably interwoven with horse-racing. It is said openly that apart from the gamble there is not enough sporting spirit in tho community to secure a gate for a. more raco. This parasitic habit fastening itself on the horse has so vitiated horseracing that according to the regular canons of fair play there is hardly suvn a thing as an honest horse race e\ r er 1 run. I was in England at last Derby time. The favourite was owned by a brewer who had a seat in the House of Lords. There were four or five separate attempts to dope or maim that horse. Finally Scotland Yard mounted guard, and the animal was escorted to the Downs by detectives to dulv lose the race. I Yvas in a. house in Iveicestcr and the owner said, with a sort of awe. • This was Fred Archer’s house.’ Fred Archer's ‘ Life ’ came out at that time. Here is the ‘Spectator’s’ summary of the life of this national hero, this friend of kings: ‘ Archer was not, wo must think, a sportsman in the truest sense of that word. He would stop at. nothing to win. He would frighten the other jockeys, humbug the starter, attempt to persuade the OYvuer of a likely horse on which he had not the mount to abandon the race, and flog an animal till it could never run again. Archer, his mouth full of curses audible at the rail side, could not bear to be beaten He could not lose and keep his temper.’ “No one acquainted with English conditions can be other than alarmed at the vast ramifications of the gambling habit. It reaches from the school-child to the throne. The unemployment dole finds its way in a considerable degree to the pocket of the ‘ books.’ The sight of the ‘ Paddock Wire ’ edition of London dailies being cried down the dingy East End streets, to add to their moral and social dinginess, is one of the moso unpleasant sights of the city. Sydney is said to be in a state of nerves over ! the spread of the liabit; but we in Nev,* Zealand have no occasion to plume our feathers. Our gambling record is a staggerer. It exceeds per capita by 300 per cent the estimates of British gambling which were laid before the Parliamentary committee now sitting. “ The people ought to know that the rising science of political economy has nothing bub condemnation for the habit. Tt is opposed, they tqll us. to every principle of true social life. It :s a peculiarly cold and cruel passion. It spoils the generous instincts more swiftly than any other habit. There *.«> not a single redeeming feature in it. It has no relation to chivalry and to un selfishness. Tt makes for a hard egotism. It tickles tho coY-otouSness pa* ! sion from which yv© have too much to fear any way. Here is tho verdict of a university chief in a recently published book on 4 Altruism ’ : ‘ Living long among college students and observing tbeir natural pleasure in all sorts of moral experimentation, l have come to nelieve gambling to be the vice most iikelv to wreck character. All forms of. vice are bad Enough. It is shocking to see a young man drunk. Drunkenness grows steadily rarer, and, after all. a drinker remains pretty much himself when the fit is off. I have had friends of this sort who when not in liquor showed the same interest in worthv things as other men. But when I seo the gambling liabit getting bold on a young man I despair of liini.’ Is it not time that decent people took a stand and politelv but very firmly voted any. even the slightest gamble, as had form, bad morals and bad citizenship? “ The papers tell us that the people ; need recreation. But there is no recreation in gambling. There is an exnaustion and an expenditure of nervous energy that can be as ill-afforded as the inevitable losses. Last Melbourne carnival Yveek one of the papers had tim candour to say. ‘As the week wears on the gaiety will Jjecome more superficial on the part of'most racing patrons, th 3 laugh louder but more hollow.’ Tt is that hollow lauffh that is the condemn a tion of the,most unsocial and uncheering of all pastimes. In Christchurch even the show day is invaded by tfia insatiable gamblers. Over th© fence from the display of the resources of the province the ‘ tote ’ crowd are at the unending game.”