PROGRESS OF CIVILISATION.

NZ Truth, Issue 84, 26 January 1907, Page 8

PROGRESS OF CIVILISATION.

TO THE EDITOR. : Sir,— l have been m this glorious country about nine weeks, and being a seafaring man eight of those weeks have been employed coasting. . I have every praise (as a sailor who has been ;over both hemispheres) to give to New Zealand,- but m. all my travels , and I .have •■aylong experience of New York and other cities m the Uniited States, I never saw, nor could believe that such a thing as the Haining-street gambling shop could exist amongst civilized Britishers. I • remember sometime ago a man called by courtesy "The Policy King" .died i m New York, T. Allen was his name. He left about £250,000 sterling, which was made from poor people's money; bets ranging from i 8 cents upwards. On cross-examina- j tion he onde admitted the chances were about 2000 to 1. He was fined on several occasions, but made boasts during the. Tammany organisation that the police could not touch him. I have been m his place several times and saw for myself, but unless you had the influence you could not get on the inside. In Haining-street anyone can walkin. I Was m company with a friend the other evening and he suggested that we should go m. My friend has been years m the colony and got together a nice home. He ie an English man and is quite happy m his surroundings. But what was my surprise to? see him .saluted by a dirty-looking Chin-amah m a most familiar manner, and told that hebad marked four. On investigation I found he had struck four numbers on a ticfrpt ; but of course he should have done better. The game to me is like U.S. Pulicy, only you play m

Chow language, and m the States you understand what, you are doing; Surely our legislators don't admit, that there is any skill, playing" a game you could not even question,, the idea is , absiird : on "the face, of it. I admire the noble stand you are taking 'against . the predominant, pars the Chows are taking m some' of our industries, and ■■ would like toY see United States law here— exclusion of the detested race from vjfcheKcblony. Perhaps that ' worthy clergyman who conducts ; a .nonconformist chapel m the ' neiwhborhbO'd „ could • do-, .something and forget a 'few, lesser . eyils.— I am, &c, ' . ■-■;-- .'-,". ' \' .. >■ DIS&USTEO.