GAMBLING.

White Ribbon, Volume 33, Issue 403, 18 February 1929, Page 2

GAMBLING.

(A paper read at the Blenheim “V Branch meeting on Septunbei 6th, 1928, by Rev. Robt. L Fordyce, A.A.).

The Vpostle la I misquoted as having written to Timothy: “Money is the root Oi all evil,” but lie was much too Bane and too practical a man to have written anything so foolish and untrue. He aid write: “The love of money is tic loot of all evil,” and those three words, “the love of,” make all the difference between the semi-falsehood of the misquotation and the full truth of the correct one. It is “the lov of money” which is the root of the gambling evil In all its varied forms. At one time, gambling was usually associated mainly with the horse race and the card table or the loulette w'heel. but now it has become a pernicious adjunct to many things, including the sports’ field, the church bazaar, and many social functions. Nor is this evil the mono poly of adults, but it has caught within its meshes even boys and girls. One has only to study the disastrous moral, social. and economic results of this vice, to feel compelled to become its implacabl* enemy.

But a comparatively few years ago it was regarded as somewhat of a uisgrace for a person to be known as “a gambler” or “a gamester,” but 5:o prevalent has this evil become, that few feel any sense of shame concerning it, and it is usually only the Christian portion of a community which utters its voir** in protest against this practice. Moreover, it has to be confessed, that for many the voice of the Christian Churches has ceased to speak with authority, because many a church s fundß have been augmented by means of gambling in some form. What other name than gambling can anyone give to all this sorry business of paying sixpence to guess the weight of a cake, in the hope of winning a cushion or a doll or something else. The principle involved is exactly the same, no matter what the amount of the stak*> or the value of the prise may be. In principle it is equally as much gambling, to pay a sum to guess the weight of a cake, in the hope of getting a prize, as it is to put a

pound on a horse race in the hope of winning ten. twenty or fifty pounds in . turn. Concerning those gamble s politely called guessing coin petitions- 1 believe that the Lord's work can never prosper with money obtained by the use of the devil’s agencies. Many a look of contemptuous, or perhaps pitying scorn has been cast upon the writer at church bazaars and other social [unctions, because, when asked to buy tickets for, or invest money in guessing competitions, he has dared to say, “Mo thank you; on principle 1 never gamble.” How can any church which has gained money by countenancing any form of this vice, raise an effective voice against it, whether it be carried on privately or under the benediction of a government in the form of the totalisator which is already legalised. 01 by moans of the State Lotteries which some evilly-disposed individuals are trying to legalise* in this land ostensibly for charitable aid purposes?

The sports' field, where once opposing teams met in keen yet friendly rivalry has become the place where all too frequently teams meet almost as enemies, because of the money staked upon the matches by players and onlookers, often by both, li is well-known that much of the far-too-frequent foul play in games is due to the fact that individual players have bet% on the results. The larger the amounts of the stakes, the more likelihood there is of cheating and even of brutal play. One has only to stroll along the touch-line while many a game of football is in progress, and if one listens, one may hear bets being made upon the varying prospects of the game. In a certain little South Island town at a football match, a girl about 18 years of age proudly showed to the writer the three halfcrowns which she had won on the previous week’s match. She seemed surprised that one was obviously not interested, nor yet enthusiastically complimentary. As some know, gambling often spoils the matches, even between the boys of some of our high schools. We always used to speak of football, and especially of cricket as clean games, but for fur too many, even these noble games provide incentives to and facilities for g .übhng. just as a common horse race does.

That gambliug in a multitude of forms has a tremendous hold upon thousands in this laud cannot be denied, but lei us seek lo discover some of the causes of this state* of affairs. To what do we owe a large part of the gambling spirit now prevalent in this country? Somebody has said. “For everything which is worse than it used to be, blame the war.” I believe, Ilia.t in this instance, the blame is justifiable. Most people who were 10 years of age, or older m ID 14, will remember that all over this country, in return for the payment of a shilling (more or less) one had a chance of winning a house, a

motor car. a horse, or a farm, or, at any rate, something worth vastly more than the amount actually paid for the chance of winning. The mom y was being raised for patriotic funds, and I believe our men were worthy of it all, but, and here is the point, little children v,ei« taught to gamble then “for a good cause.” To-day. many of those children now grown to manhood and womanhood will, and do gamble whenever an opportunity offers. Those of us who refused art union tickets and all such things during the war were sometimes told that we were mean and unpatriotic, but we knew that the seed being sown broadcast then would yield a fearful harvest some day. and with many of us it was our dove for this land which made us refuse to give even a copper to such raffles and guessing competitions To-day cur nation is reaping tlie* harvest, und it seems as though the end of it is not within sight.

As an example of the way in which this gambling mania since the war has warped some people’s sense of the fitness of things, one can mention a place where there is a church w r hich was built mainly by money obtained from dances and What are some of the main incentives to gambling? (1) A desire to gain with as little labour as possible. For many years now, lots of newspapers, by publishing betting news, have been telling people that there is an easier way of making money than by working lor • it. Thousands now believe this, with results which ought to concern us all. (24 The love of excitement. While there are healthy causes of excitement. gambling is an unhealthy, pernicious and artificial one.

The thoughtless following of fashion. If many a gambler were asked, “Why do you gamble?” he w'oukl have to answer: ‘‘Oh, well, Jack and Bill and Tom do it. so l suppose i might as well he in the fashion. A fellow doesn't like to appear singular.” Now let us consider some of the arguments put forward by gamblers in support of this vice. (4) We are often told: “For that matter, all business is a gamble.” In reply, we would say. that whereas “risk” is the very essence of gambling, the sane business *:<an endeavours to eliminate risk. He draws upon his knowledge and experience, and by a careful study of markets and of popular requirements, endeavours to buy only what he can he sure of selling again. He to Invest his money on “a certainty,” yet the gambler who bets on what he knows to be “a certainty,” is regarded as dishonourable according tc the gambler’s code of honour. What a strange sense of humour some folk have!

(s) We have been told: “So loug as the proceeds are for a good cause, there is nothing wrong in gambling.” Of course we all recognise this as the old fallacy that ‘‘the end justifies the means.” Upon this principle most crimes could be and would have to be condoned. But theft is punished as a crime, although the thief may gain thousands of pounds by means of his act. A successful gamble is a sort of polite theft, because by means of it the winner has gained at the expense of loss to another, and by chance or design without returning a just equivalent. Yet a gambler considers himself to be insulted if termed a “thief.” (6) Sometimes the matter is put to us in this way: “So long as a man’s money is his own, what right hns anybody to say, ‘You shall not gamble?’ ” In reply. I would say that as citizens, we 1 ave this amount of right, that while some people gamble with their own money, yet because they often draw into the gamble people who cannot afford it. and who, by their gambling, are pre*venbsi from paying their just debts, therefore we ought to oppose the practice as an anti-social evil. Now let us consider a few good reasons why gambling should be disowned as a national means of revenue

and condemned upon every possible occasion. J. C. Jamieson, in his booklet, ‘‘Life Problems,” refers to the statement of Martineau (the French authority on Ethics) in which he says: “in gambling, the initial principle Main by another's loss is vicious and vitiating." Ramsay MacDonald (English Labour Leader) is on record as i.?''ing declared: “ T he gambling disease is marked by moral and intellectual unsettlement. What is this but saying that it cuts away the roots of good citizenship.” Charles James Fox, the famous politician, was a notorious gambler, and he failed mainly owing to his lack of steadiness, dignity, prudence and industry, the very deficiencies oi character which his gambling inclinations accentuated. These were moral and intellectual results fit his gambling. Worldwide records of crime prove that gambling is the main cause of forgeries and embezzlements. Gamb-

ling often creates an increasing distaste for honest work. The professional gambler makes his money by duping the unwary and ignorant. Gambling is essentially selfish and therefore by its very nature antiChristian. Christianity teaches goodwill towards and service for others, whereas gambling encourages the deliberate despoiling of others for one’s own profit and pleasure. Fnquestionably, (lie remedy lies very largely in the hands of the people of our Churches, and particularly Christian young people who work in shops, offices and factories, where betting on horse races and football, cricket, hockey and boxing matches, etc., is prevalent, can do much by consistently refusing to invest even a penny piece when asked to take part in these gambles, and by discouraging others from so doing. Of course, such refusals require moral courage, but such protests are certain ultimately to have beneficial effects upon weaker associates who often gamble only because afraid of the ridicule which a refusal might call forth. It often happens that “Jack” gambles because "Bill and Toni” do it. But, if “Bill and Tom” would only persistently refuse. “Jack" would never gamble. I would urge upon all churcli-going young people who have

to work in a gambling atmosphere, to ask God to give them courage to refuse to gamble under any circumstances. God will help you in this way. and it is practically certain that your example will help some younger or w eaker person to avoid the meshes of tlie gambling net. For churchgoing people, another strong deterrent from gambling should be the fact of personal accountability to (rod. If, because of my example, someone should come to ruin through gambling, God will require that person's soul at my hands. I shall be held responsible for that brother’s or sister's ruin. How will any of us feel, if at the Judgment Day. Jesus Christ should ask us. “Where is thy brother (or sister?) and we should have to answer, “Alas. Lord, he (or she) was ruined by gambling through my example.” I believe that the best thing which any person ran do concerning this nation-wide evil is to vow solemnly before God, “Believing that gambling in any and all its forms is an antiChristian, anti-social moral evil. 1 resolve, God helping me, never to gamble under any circumstances, and to use my best endeavours to keep others from this evil practice.” Such a resolve, made and kept by the young people of New Zealand, would safeguard thousands from disgrace and ruin, and would do much to create a social conscience relentlessly antagonistic to this evil.