THE PRINCIPLE OF THE T.A.B.

White Ribbon, Volume 25, Issue 7, 1 October 1953, Page 2

THE PRINCIPLE OF THE T.A.B.

The time has come when the Government must revise the whole principle of T.A.B Not only is it undermining the morale of the ation, but it is having most adverse economic effects,” *ay» Dr. A. L. Haddon, President of the Council of Churches, Dunedin. And the Prime Minister, so recently in Dunedin at the National Party Conference, world do well to waste no time in ordering a compete investigation of the operation and effects of this Government-organised social evil. ‘ Already the Retailers’ Association and the Master Printers are protesting against T.A.B. As more and more authoritative bodies make their feelings of protest known, as they will undoubtedly do, add their voices to the growing indignation of the churches, the Government cannot do otherwise than realise it must wipe out what has become a canker at the nation’s root. The Council of Churches has discussed the matter already at several conferences and some ugly instances of the way T.A.3. is undermining the people, have been revealed. One of the most unfortunate aspects is the way in which it is menacing the home life and the young people in an even greater degree. This is the sort of intrusion the T.A.B. is making into the people’s lives that worries not only the Churches; one woman bought a 70 lb. bag of sugar from a grocer, and, to raise money to put on the T.A.8., she sold it illegally at a profit in small lots to neighbours.

There is no doubt that many more people are developing the habit today than when they used the bookmakers. With bookmakers, betting was mainly done on the racecourses. Today, you can buy a bet in a shop, anybody can, young or old, rich or poor. And the pity is that the rich have less incentive to bother—it is the poor who want to get rich quickly. No, there is no place for organised gambling of this sort in this young and growing nation, which cannot afford to have its vitality sapped the T.A.B. way.” —“Daily Times.”