The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY. LEVIN. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1915. GAMBLING OF SORTS

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 August 1915, Page 2

The Chronicle PUBLISHED DAILY. LEVIN. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1915. GAMBLING OF SORTS

■Sonic publicists will have it t, certain circumstances alter gambl. caws as lmicli ay they do cases in ' I abstract, It is held that a lott promoted to raise lands for supp of wounded soldiers anil their dep dente—or to augment the funds a church—is so venial a transgress that no offence deserving of pena is committed. I'roni this we ditf Our grounds, however, are sonic tin apart from those of the average < jector. Wu see little harm in person putting £1 on the totalisal than wo do in the action of-an inv to; who buys shares in a decadent co pauy on the surety of a rise in sin values — always providing that t money thus risked will not cause hai bbips _ to the speculators their ventures prove unprolitab But the case is different where statu law intervenes, and tlie foundations good government are undermined every contravention of the law that condoned by those sworn to truly a minister the law. In equity the t fence is as great whether it is prom ted to support a praiseworthy objc or merely for individual gain, oui mind the anti-gambling laws iNew Zealand are ultra-rigorous, ai not in accord with the preponderatii volume of public opinion—which f obvious reasons is less articulate tin the minority voice tiiat dominates tJ legislature. This aspect of the cas however, is a negligible one while tJ law stands us at present; and until majority cjf electors makes imperati' an amendment ol the present law tJ law should be administered impartial -and the legal indecency of the Ju . lice Department of Now Zealand win mg its blindest eye at rallies illegal i-uu should be deemed intolerable. U "good object" plea is capable of i many elaborations tbat some lawyi yet will plead on behalf of a boo. maker client that as the "layer of ti; odds devoted all his prolite to a moj praisoworthy object—the support <j his aged mother—no prosecution ot i deserving a fellow should lie. Sue matters all are really-cases of degrei and the rediictio ad absurdum niovi further off and further with eac deliberate evasion of_ the letter of ti] law by those sworn to administer ft in partially. It has been contended tha fhc raffles conducted throughout th dominion in" recent month's mro innc cuous affairs in their results, but th reports ot a case dealt with at Wei lingUm last Saturday, in the Suprem provides ground ior a belie that Tattersall sweeps and patrioti raffles are of a kidney. The case wa one in which a young letter-carrier wa set forward for sentence on a charge <j theft. The lad's counsel asked fo leniency, and pointed out that tin prisoner was the youngest letter-carrie. in New Zealand. Most of his wage, went to the support ol his widowet mother, hut he had acquired a taeu for amusements, and he had spent ■, great deal of money on the various lotteries and amusements inaugun-atec by the promoters of the Woundec Soldiers' Fund. To supplement liis pocket money he yieldbd to temptation and stole a letter containing money. In acceding to counsel's appli- | cation for probation, his Honor tne Chief Justice remarked that there had been a lot of gambling going on, and no doubt it had done a lot of harm to the community • he did not know that people generally realised how much liarm had been done. An English bu.aer writes:—Quito'a number of people have insured against the possibility of an early peace, though such policies are very difficult to secure at the moment, Three mouths ago a client of mine took out a policy for £2500 against continuation of war beyond the present year. He paid 10 per cent premium or £10UO, and if hostilities still continue after December 31st ho if ill receive £2oo£ and I do not doubt that Hie considers he is on a very good thing. To-day he would have to pay a premium of 75 per cent which shows what Lloyd's, think of the prospects of peace seven months 'hence.