AUSTRALIAN MORALS

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 193, 12 June 1939, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN MORALS

LOWER THAN IN N.Z. PREVALENCE OF GAMBLING “1 think the Australian moral standards are. lower than those of Now Zealand,” said the Hev. Wi T. Hopper, retired. Methcdist minister, oL Ricarton, Christchurch, on his return to. Wellington. He said he had been revisiting Adelaide, where he had studied iq his youth. He was gravely disappointed with the change brought, by the* year's. To-day gambling was rife there. “1 was very disappointed by my visit to Australia-—especially when 1 compared the Adelaide of to-day with the Adelaide 1 knew 50 years ago as a studlent there,” he said. “Australia is no longer the same from a Church standpoint as it was then.” ' The prevalence of gambling was the tiling that most greatly shocked them. It seemed to have a firmer hold in South Australia than in most other States. He did not agree with gambling in any . shape or form; but if it had to be permitted, he preferred to see it controlled by the totafisator as in New Zealand, That was a cleaner sort- of gambling. In Australia, anyone cculd obtain a license' and set up a betting establishment, just as. he plight 'open a shop or other business This system was open toi abuses kept iu check by totalisator gambling. Gambling appeared to be the ruling passion. Hei was gladl to see the streets had now been cleared as far as possible of undesirables. The filthy resorts lie recalled as existing there 50 years ago had been done away with. However, he felt that in Australia there was not- the same moral tone as in New Zealand.