MEMBERS OF THE MINISTRY AND TATTERSALLS CLUB.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 609, 11 September 1909, Page 10

MEMBERS OF THE MINISTRY AND TATTERSALLS CLUB.

-Aioyjmy • to': understand -ifatfi •»tUwd«:;.«vtfo-;'Minj.3?reißier .towards a; w» ;Cent'.-deputation. 1 iv'Ono; would "haye' thought that, bbtn'-M arid the Hoii. J. A. Aiillar could' have,. been better employed, than in'bestowiug :tfleir,vblcssing s bookmakers', club.'' 'l'he paterniU -"adm<)mtions', of ? both: somo'tyf' : iiß' regard as roere'cant.'But livouJd specially refer' ■to xemarkablo partioUlai'a in Mr.' Mil--' thought,'your retort'says, ''the Tattersalls ,Club should .become 1 the head-' auartera of all ; forms. of Sport." -'Ono would hiive'/thonglit rthalsthe-furtnir .sportljwas kept from ■;the,-bopkmakeira..the 'better. , : jHe says,: againv "Jfhero. .would always be different,dpinions, about, bottiii'.",'The implication hero is ' : Wat w;hother, betting be; a .vice or notispuTelv $ r m a a f r o±' opiljioii.;. iWcll, i'l* chtvileiige the' MWistsr ;to give" tho. ; namfi • of hjiy' metal teacher, W: political' economist,-' from" .Hefb'ert' spencer 'to Jtiuskiu (not excluding. ; i>prd Boser :bery)...who;.questionß'/th9 ~ viciousni'ss of bettiJCg.T .... ... i ' V.'- s■- • \itiMsn.^Jwfs^ysf*' 4 tngat.iV»seemed tb®im there ,wns no .difference Between takjng ,£IOO to'lOs, ,on .tho risk. Of his house being buriied down; and .taking' tflOO'.itp : 10s. on tho TCiuit of a horse . race." '. I : ,r#gard snch a statement 'as utterly ; stupid,-and calculated to sonfuso and mislead.^-- The/propositiou; is- that : h'ottso ins'ur- : auce and betting •on a' horse .race ate one dnd the saiiio. tmng,!. Lot' me. show r tho Minister where they-vitally differ. ,; -r. ; v, : the-.hpuse .insuranco you pay'yout 10s. fer;an:.unfprtiiuate|Contihgendy you do not want -to happen. (Sir. Millar's words'would lead -one :to think that' tho aim of.'.'tho insured is. to..'got ■ a fire.) 'But -with ; the : 10s. on tho result'of a horso race, you pay . your'money for a'contingency you very;much .want'to" happen. .iS a vital'distinction here. (2) Presuming a firo'liappenfci'you-get j but; yon gain .nothing. • 'Indeed; you still lose, •tot tho..insurance.companies.:take;care tho '■S®» 13 .worth unoro .than >£100.All. that the »J®o.. do . cs ,.' B ,.fO;lessen.youi\. : loss. ■ But-if you ltm .in .thOi.bet ;on the horse' you I gaih 'JJIOD minus _105.,. a sum for which' you have not' pretended to give an equivalent., A difference again.,: anere;can.'bo'noJgain in'honest insurance,'. whereas tho;. chief: .desire in-the 10s. bet «: monetary' gain—a vital, difference: in. prinCiplOt ' .::(3);If .yon .'get your £100 . insurance''money .you rob no One;'you impoverish' no one, for the company,-.in its,-scale of. charges, allow for a margin, of profit. .; But yottr gain in the. horse race i». dircctly at tho expense of another—in ■Hi? Present instance-at.'.tho exoenseof at lisatA. . W9 : 'knotWr. distinction. * (1) If-.you, have no' firo your 10s. 'secures for you,,a senso; of r-security;.and • you havo your house." But. if you. loso: on .tho-raCo you have ' and'you loSe that-you,started with. ' mi , J-hero is essential. diiferenco iu. motive.Iho motive inr the. insurance is ,bare provision fo. avert ruin. .' But. the ; motive in the bet On tho. horse race is,'unhealthy, excitement plus, uesire . for sordid gain. An ' essential' differ- , CQCe.-'

Hence, it, is,,quito :olear, ;I;. think,:, that -be-' : teA : .Jb» ; -tWo-thiags there is no'equality or' .:V'batever j. and I ■ can- only express my,-tiiiUMment.-thati one in tho Jfinister's'liieh portion should, have so expressed himself; The downward bias :to.,the: vice of betting is far too in/the 'Dominion to be cucourflged by ,Minister.-I am,"etc., T A. WILLIAiIS, Septdmber 7, 1809.' - lia P. tist Manse. ;