A DRASTIC FIAT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1452, 29 May 1912, Page 4

A DRASTIC FIAT.

TO POSTAL OFFICIALS. GAMBLING STRICTLY FORBIDDEN* MR. ELL'S EDICT. iUy Telegraph,—SseclaJ Correspondent,! Christchurch, May 28. Strong exception is being taken (say* tiio Christclnireh "Evening News") by officers in the Post and Telegraph Department "from one end of the Dominion to the oflher to a circular issued to them by the Hon. 11. G. Lil, Post master-General, warning them not to go in for gambling in any shape or form; tlrnt anyone convicted of gambling in any form whatever Will bo summarily dismissed from til# service. The men take this to moan that they must not bet on the totalisator, that they must not go in for Tattersall's sweeps, bh'at they must not oven go in for raffles at church bazaars. They feel extremely indignant at tli-o order', and tho whole em-ice is up in arms i'rojn Auckland to tho Bluff. The circular is regarded by them a 6 the thin' edgo of the wedge in curtailing their personal liberty, and are forwarding a reply to the Minister, resenting tho no/ture of the circular, and asking what he ineari3 by tho word "convicted." They also ask how the Minister can prevent them from betting 011 the totalisator when tho machine is legalised by the Government, which also bears a commission from it. Perhaps the whole position is summed up_ in the following remark by tho "News" reporter's informant—a gentleman in the service at Wellington: "You can gamble as much as ,vou like, but if you are found out you wjil be 'sacked.'" Text of the "Edict," The following is the full text of the "edict," which was promulgated a few days ago:— "Gambling in any form by any person employed in tho Post and Tele* graph Department is rtrictly forbidden. "Any such person convicted 0' the commission of this offence is liable to summary dismissal. In this regulation the word 'gambling' is to bo interpreted in its widest sense. It not only includes the more obvious practice of risking money directly or indirectly on tho result of a horsc-raco or an athletic contest, or «u the turn of a card, or of dice, for the advantage of any person whatever, but also any undertaking in which chance ii a necessary factor. "Such, for instance, are, competitions, whether conducted by means of commission agents or other persons. in which consideration is thnt on payment of a sum of money,_ or the purchase of a coupon or such like, rewards are promised for correctly foretelling 6omo event."