TOTALISATOR GAMBLING.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 88, 22 November 1912, Page 6

TOTALISATOR GAMBLING.

! The Rev. T. A. Williams, in disccmrsjing on the words, "Lovers of pleasure I rather than lovers of God," at the ; i Sydenham (Christchurch) Baptist ' Church the other Sunday night, gave ! some astonishing figures with regard to ; investment* on the totalisator, which he j referred to as "that gigantic engine of ■ ; national corruption." In the recent; I three days' racing at Addington the (huge Mini of £99.177 passed through i the machine. That sum was er ! £21,000 above, the return for the same ! three days last year. The local h.crease | in totalisator betting. Mr. Williams said, was typical of the whole Dominion. !In 1891-92 the totalisator returns were j ■£•506.078; in 1910-11 they were £*~-' ! 933.534, Thus in the 19 last year? the totalisator returns had increased 282 per cent., while in the same period the I population had increased but 58 per cent. Put in another way, it meant I that for every £100 put through the I machine in 1891, £382. were put ' through in 1910, whilo for every 100 lof population in 1891 chere were 158 Jin 1910. Then, if tho last ten years iCI 900-10) were taken, it was found that the totalisator increase was 65 per cent., but the increase of population

for the came period was only 30 per cent.

Mr. Williams drew the coticlu&ion from the figures above quoted that, "if the gambling mania was allowed to continue unchecked it spelt nothing less than national disaster and ruin. If Parliament did nor f.'icp the qufPtion— and it would not. for it usually thought more of pelf and power than of moral principle and righteous judgment --it was for the Christian people to insist on a referendum on tho existence of the totalisator at the next election."