SPREAD OF GAMBLING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 141, 16 June 1936, Page 6

SPREAD OF GAMBLING

"N.Z.’S” PUBLIC ENEMY No. 1” SERMON AT TRINITY CHURCH PREACHER STRESSES A DUTY. Gambling was described by the Rev. Raymond Dudley M.A., preaching from the pulpit of Trinity Methodist Church on Sunday, as New Zealand’s public enemy No. 1, and he stressed an opinion that it was the urgent duty * of every individual to reprove its operation and restrain its deadly influence. The preacher took as his text Vvrse 11 of the fifth chapter of the Ephesians:— “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but ' rather reprove them.” J “The, beer and whisky drinker, whe- • ther he be temperate or otherwise, has been the object of much opprobrium in time past,” Mr. Dudley said at the outset. “The trade that he assists in fostering for many years now has been regarded by moralists and others as the chicfest evil of the day. Yet a startling trend in social morality is observable in that the drinker has now to yield his foremost place. Without considering admission charges to racecourses, New Zealand last year actually invested on the totalisator something in the vicinity of four million pounds sterling anil in so-called art unions over £18(1,000. When with these figures we consider the money involved in side wagers and games of chance together with the other illegal investments of men and women with bookmakers and in raffles and overseas lotteries we find that New Zealand’s public enemy No. 1 is the gambler. Unfruitfulness of Gambling. “Gambling in all the comprehensiveness of the term, is the most unfruitful work of darkness in New Zealand to-day,” the preacher continued. “Some would deny the banefulness of its influence and would demonstrate its various utilities; how the speed of horses is being increased; their breed improved and what a. national asset stud farms for racers really are. Yet if betting were suddenly dissociated from horse racing to-morrow, how many for merely aesthetic reasons would be interested in the much vaunted speed and breed of racehorses! 1 read recently an article by a sporting enthusiast stressing the social advantages of racing; how it helped the primary producer and secondary industries and what a tragedy it would be if it were to cease and thus deprive 10,009 people (a very extravagant estimate) cf the means of livelihood. But racing to-day is hardly organised solely for these economic advantages and such altruism sounds not only unconvincing but hypocritical when we consider the shattered homes and broken hearts and unhappy lives which owe their misery to the hazards and often Vhc charlatanism of the racecourse. “Not to be outdone however, many forgetting how the fallacy has been exploded by recognised economists of the world would point, to the advantages of the revenue which the Government obtains from totalisator and art unions, thereby enabling it to provide for social relief and community service. And it is just here that so many rationalise their purchase of a lottery ticket just because it is for “a good cause.” But in the eyes of God can the end justify the means? Even the law will not permit a man to steal a loaf of bread to feed his starving wife and children. “Why then these perfidious art unions which swallow up nearly twothirds of their gross taking in expenses and commissions, and lure so many who can least afford it into a fool’s paradise. Why this nefarious betting machine which pays out as dividends less than the total amount invested and which by its very nature makes the ultimate lot of the gambler a losing hazard. But some with impatience will lift their hands in protest and cry, “there is risk in everything—marriage, business, insurance; the whole of life is a gamble.’ But surely we cannot confuse ‘risk’ with ‘gambling.’ The wise man by reason, prayer, expert guidance and specialised training avoids unnecessary risk and reduces it to a minimum, but the gamblers and the bettors can

i never do so and become the playthings iof chance or of chicanery. Their investments are as widely removed from an insurance transaction as the poles. You have known of men being ruined by cards or racehorses, but have you ever kown of one being ruined by an insurance policy. And if we heard of a father increasing his life insurance* would we regard him as a gambler or as a wise man? “Professor Henry Clay observes ‘insurance is sometimes compared with gambling, it is, in fact, the very reverse. The gambler converts a certainty into an uncertainty—the certainty that he has his money, into the uncertainty whether he will have more or less in the future. The insurer converts an uncertainty that he will be able to meet his obligations in the

event of a possible misfortune into the certainty that he will. “Gambling is wrong not only because it is a prolific source of crime with its attendant misery; not only because it ruins every sport which it touches; not only because it causes loss in the effectiveness and initiative of all classes of labour but because it is a misdirection of wealth; an effort to get somethng for nothing; a selfish attempt to gain through others’ losses without any corresponding personal or social service. ‘ln every form of legitimate trade,’ says Canon Peter Green, ‘there is some sevice rendered to society,, some increase of wealth, some benefit to both the parties engaged. In a gamble no man can gain except by the loss sustained by the other party.’ “Gambling is the very mother of all lies, And of deceit and cursed villainies, V Manslaughter, blasphemy, and waste- \ ful sore, Of cattle and time. And furthermore, ’Tis shameful and repugnant to honour, To bo regarded as a hazarder. ’’ —Chaucer. Duty of Reproving Such Works of Unrighteousness. “Ami because gambling in all its many-sidedness is the forerunner of so much solid misery it is the urgent duty of every individual to reprove it/ operation and restrain its deadly influ ence. No honourable man, especially a Christ'an, can be indifferent to th< presence of evil whether social or iudi vidual. The day is past when with shameful and unblushing spinelessness we can unconcernedly tolerate any public iniquity and sing in acquiescence as • they once did. “The rich man in his castle, The poor man at his gate, God made them high or lowly And ordered their estate.” “It is a lie! God never ordered such things as that and He is not a God who will endure them. Gambling and betting He hates with as much intensity as those other soul-destroying evils of vice, exploitation and acquisitiveness. “And it would do well for us in this /N city to take that to our hearts. 1 have been credibly informed that excluding grocery stores there are more establishments for gambling in Wanganui than for any other large retail business. And yet we allow the evil to move on serenely. Only about 125 years ago in the dark days of slavery Abraham Lincoln when quite a lad saw a slave girl being walked up and down an auction room for bidders to inspect. And was then that the iron lan into his soul and he cried, ‘lf ever I get a chance to hit that thing I’ll hit it hard.’ And one day he did. But we! We see this gambling menace in our midst spreading like an evil smelling thing upon our boys and girls and lads and lassies and upon those whom we thought knew better and instead of a word of protest and reproach we scacely do’a hand’s turn to point out the Better Way. Much rather with a supine indifference and a shameless selfishness we ourselves have patronised sweeps and raffles and art unions and with an arrogant self-righteousness have soothed our consciences that it was to help the poor and the needy and not to win a prize. Well, if pure philanthropy is always the dominating motive with us why do we not give our shillings and our half-crowns and come out from our generosity with clean hands? “Because gambling in all its variety j is such grossness and such selfishness J it is irreligiou and unchristian. And the Divine Master warned us against covetousness and self sufficiency. He called us away from a carking anxiety in material things to a trust in a Loving lather in Heaven who would supply all our needs above all that we could ask or think. Yet we are fretted and worried and dissatisfied about the circumstances of our lives and instead of an undiscourageable faith adopt t nose worldly expedients which defile our Jives and cause the feet of our lellow-mcn to stumble. Challenge to Active Avoidance of Such Evil “And that is why the Christian can have no fellowship nor sympathy with the works of darkness. Every form of moral evil destroys our fellowship not only with God but wjth our fei-low-men. Jt besmirches our honour and drags *us into the mire. “One of the saddest things that has happened in the British House of Commons icr years was the Humiliation and resignation a few days ago of Mr. .1. H. '1 homas, the former Colonial •Secretary, who for 27 years served his people with steadfast devotion. Under the stress of the deepest emotion he rose before his colleagues on Thursday last and in his last sad words of fare well said, *.\u word can wound me more than I feel wounded. Nothing can ever be said that can humiliate * me more than 1 have been humiliated, but 1. at least go to one who has shared all my trials and troubles, and who still believes in me In this darkest hour of my life.’’ And then he left never, never, never to return. And it was a form of gambling—the illegitimate speculation of his acquaintances which brought that honourable career to a tragic and ignominious end. “That at least shc-uld bring reflection to our hearts if ought else fails to impress. “You and I are catted to a great Christian fellowship: to be not good, worldly men but good Christlike men. Half goodness is no good to God: He wants something more. It is no good to the Church: It has suffered enough from that already. It is no good to the world; It despises insincerity. And it is no good to ourselves because it will only bring the same problems and the same unrest and the same spiritual hunger for holier hearts. “And so the challenge comes to you and to me to submit our lives id a glad and perfect surrender to Christ that we may not 4 be conformed to tbi* world but transformed by the renewing cf our minds that we may prove what is that good and acceptable ®n<* per fee t will of God.°