GAMBLING IN THE COLONIES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1115, 14 September 1883, Page 3

GAMBLING IN THE COLONIES.

One can scarcely estimate aright (says L'r Stephmisou in his '• Notes on Australasia ") the degree to which gambling and its associations are r cognised and patronised !>y the com murdty at large unless one tries to m> asure and weigh the meaning of “Cup Cay” at Melbourne, It is a part of the great race meeting of the year, and is in Australian- life ad tha the Derby” is in the life of England, and far more. It is calculated that 150,000 persons gather together lathe occasion, and this in a colony ■whose entire population is not 000,000, and on a continent where the entire white population is much less than 3,000,000. Of course the day is a general holiday, thouji it is not legally so, and the attendance at the racecourse includes a large proportion of ohurcu-going people ■ Strange tales are told of the extravagance of the toilettes exhibited on the occasion But, turning to pastimes more innocent, one cannot help feeling that they occupy too great a place in the thought and heart of the community. Attention enough in England has been •devoted of late years to physical education, aud it is hard to imagine anything much more foolish and exlr ivagant than some of the football follies which have been recently perpetrated in Lancashire and Yorkshire. Bui the worship of muscle has attained far larger proportions in the colonies than hero. The ancient Persian notion of education was “lo ride, to shoot, and too tell the truth.” In the last the colonial is neither much better no. much w irse thanhia Old-World cousin, but iu the two former he is far, ahead of him, and would delight the most exacting Persian sage.' The lads learn to ride almost as soon as thev learn to walk, and fowling pieces may be seen in the hands of children who in the Old Country would scarcely be entrusted with a popgun. Then the climate favours, almost compels, au outdoor life, so that it is not very wonderful that the greatest hj -roes of the Australian people are the heronof the bat and the ball. The - “ Australian cricketers” returned from their Successful tour in England whilst 1 was in the colonies. Their reception could not have been more elaborate, enthusiastic, or expensive if they had discovered the North Pole, or if they had been conqueiovs iu some great war, Triumplml eutiios, torchlight processions, public banquets, modal-, aud other complements were showered upon them. And oven after every allowance had been made for thai natural pride winch the young colonies take in a chosen body ot their stalwart sons who had successfully met their English competitors iu iliu national game, one could not but s;c that the extravagance of their welcome was owing to an excessive estimate of physical sports.