The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, AUGUST 20, 1906.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1838, 20 August 1906, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, AUGUST 20, 1906.

Tjie subject of gambling is receiving increased attention, and there are strong indications that before very long it will occupy as largo a share of public attention to as great an extent as the prohibition question now enjoys In support of that view it need ouly be noted that tho same people, who started the prohibition crusade in a small way and showed such persistence in bringing it to a foremost place for public consideration, are almost identically those who aro now endeavoring to elevato tho gambling question to a similar position, Those gentlemen are not likely to be appalled at the magnitude of the task which they have set thomselves to put down the gambling evil, and the encouragement which they will, or ought to get, from all persons of nil creeds should ensure that result, that is, if the loaders of the movement tackle their work with the necessary discrimination. Tho fact that gambling is an evil, and is widespread is sufficient excuse, if excuse wore needed, for attacking it ; but the fact that it is a widespread evil whose ratifications eutor into almost every household necessitates the exercise of doserimination to achievo tho best results. Now tho briof history of the agitation so far as it has progressed does not givo promise that tho best resulffi will bo achieved, simply because it has shown tho unmiatakeable tendency to attompt to gain too much, and, like tho little boy who tried to grasp all tho nuts in the jar at once, it may end in gaining less than a more prudent because less avaricious desire would result in. At present we are not told what tho advocates for the suppression of gambling really desire to include in their attack, and though it is quite logical and right to attack tho evil in globo, a moment’s redaction must convince any wellbalanced mind of the impossibility of such an undertaking. There is, for instance, gambling on. tho fr-tock Exchange, gambling in land speculation, gambling in every phase of "business, «amibhng on the racecourse and in the nrivato paf]°r, gambling at church brzaaro oven where the lottery is not permitted, gambling in everything that is bought to be cold agaip, and when we condemn the principle of gambling we necessarily condemn a 1! these practices. It is therefore aotolutely essential to the success of the agitation that a clear definition of what it is proposed to attack and suppress should first be arrived at and clearly understood, for upon that un-

orstanding will do pond tho support of

houssmds who would ho rondv to Hup

press tho racecourse bookmaker and

tho professional cardshnrpor, while they would loud to aid to tho sup(>ros~ siou of gambling on tho shnro market. This too in essentially a question which dopouds whololy for its succoss upon something liko unanimity of pubko opinion and support, and tho unwiadom of taxing that too heavily in theao circumstnncos must bo <puifce apparont. I’or tlioso reasons no apology is noedod for dissonting from a. too liberal extension of what it

proposed to attack. “ flalf a loaf hotter than no broad,” and as tho half loaf is already well within roach it is wiser to possess it boforo attempting to Hoouro tho whole hatch which is

quite beyond the powor of law to secure. There are muny thousands of people who hold that gambling is not inherently wrong in any form so long as it is conductor! on fair conditions.

and these pooplo will continue to gamble ouo with tho other no matter what tho law may say to tho con- | Gary; but ovon tlioso people will admit that ihero is a lossor uuuiber of people who mnko a living by gambling, and who descend to all kinds 01 tricks and devices to extort money from tho pockots of their dupes, and who offer all kinds of inducements to youths and others who aro oasily lod to ontor into tlioir nefarious games. Those aro the people who should bo suppressed in tho first instance, for the harm they do

is simply incalculable. One of those gentry intorviowod tho Itov. S. Gray in Christchurch last week and appears to have convinced him that the totalisator was oven a worse evil than tho bookmaker himself. If Mr Gray

knew all that ho ought to know of tlio subject before joining in the crusade he would not depend, as he appears to have done, upon such tainted specimens of humanity for his information, and his opinion grounded thereon, would not have regarded the totalisator as the greater instead of, as it really is, the lesser of the two evils, Else whuro we print Mr Gray’s version of the interview which was expressly sought to convinco Mr Gray that the totalisator was responsible for the existence of the bookmaker and the greater of the two evils. It is to be regretted that Mr Gray did not tell this would-be virtuous harpy to go about his business, and that ho would glean information from a more reliable source. Still tho interview is instructive as showing tho trend of the argumerits that are likely to bo brought forward to convince the public as to what should be done, and what is more discouraging, the manifest daugor of tho agitation being directed rgainst the legalised machine to the comparative exclusion of the vilest and moat dangerous combination of villainy that can exist in any country, and which was represented at the interview by the bookmaker himself. I'ho totalisator is a gambling machine it is true, but it is not without its comparative merits. It does not appear except on the racecourse, and even there it does not chase people round the paddock to make wagers as the bookmaker does ; it pays cash and does not slink oil when a wager is lost as the bookmaker often does ; it does not canvass every street in almost every town for wagers when a race meeting is in progress; it does not offer bribes to jockeys to prevent the best horse winning ; it does not main taia an army of touts to ascertain which horse it is necessary to keep a light rein upon ; it doe 3 not swindle honest owners and tho public by taking their money, knowing at the same time that they had the animal “ stiffened ” on which the money w T as staked; it does not give credit for wagers to boys and others and then pester them to pay up when they can’t honestly do so; it does not engage in surreptitious card sharping and swindling between times, addingtothe dupes and victims by plausible intrigues aud leave them to their fate when they have been ruined by most diabolical methods ; and it doesn’t spent in sumptuous living and debauchery those illgotten gains. The totalisator is, in short, the natural enemy of the race? course vulture j who for the sake of respectability calls himself a bookmaker. It is tho most urgent necessity that ho should be wiped out of existence, and that speedily. The totalisator as his natural enemy can be profitably used in the process, and when that desirable result is achieved attention can be directed to other forms of gambling with freer scope a nd greater hope of success.