The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19,1892. Gambling

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 65, 19 November 1892, Page 2

The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1892. Gambling

The consultaions or racing sweeps which hare proved so attractive when conducted by a man of well established probity, ia another colony, have lately excited a good deal of attention because of the magnitute of the proportions they have assumed within the last few years. In former days when these were permitted ia New Zealand a thousand pound sweep was looked upon as something very daring, to say the least of it, and the winner of a first prize was a person of no little fame and consequence, but immediately after they were suppressed by law in this colony new life and vigour was infused into them in New South Wales, and there grand totals went up by " leaps and bounds" until they now amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds. Who can deny that the temptations they offer are calculated to attract all sorts and conditions of men? It is only natural. For the sum of one pound a struggling man may, in one turn of fortune's wheel, be made <• rich beyond the dreams of avarice," or placed in comfortable circumstances for the rest of his life. Of course everyone knows that his chance is a remote one — but he also knows that his chance is as good as his neighbour's. It has been shown that legis-, lation is unable to cope with this species of gambling. If its head is crushed to the ground in one place it springs up with renewed life in another, and the work has all to be done over again, if attempted at all. It has been suggested that all of the Governments in the Australasian colonies should combine, and make the promoting or taking any part whatever in these consultations a felony. In our opinion this is simple nonsense. We have already too many of what may be termed artificial crimes on our statute books without adding to their number in this direction. It would be just as sensible to make it penal for men to sell or diiuk intoxicating liquors. What is wanted, in our belief, is the force of public opinion. Let the money making classes show less eagerness and greed in the pursuit of wealth ; let the preachers and the I teachers show by their lives, and by J their every day acts, that " money, J money " is not the beginning and the end of all good in this world. The force of public example is stronger than the force of legislative precept. The advocates of total abstinence from drink have done far more to advance the interests of the cause which some of them so ably advocate, by leading good lives, and being good parents and good citizens, than the ablest lecturers who have ever spoken from a public platform. Avarice has been called " a good old gentlemanly vice," and age has deprived it of none of its attractions, as is seen every day. Drink has been called a vulgar vice, and is being successfully cornbatted. Let avarice, in its turn, in whatever shape or form it may exist, have a crusade started against it, and, as in the case of the drink traffic, the evils arisiug therefrom may be lessened, but we fear that after all the preachers against the love of money will never be so sincere or earnest as the apostles in the cause of the hatred of drink, for the " trail of the serpent is over us all " in respect to the love of " the root of all evil. " In conclusion, we would express the opinion if consultations were brought under the sway of the law, like the J totalisator, half the battle would be won.