MORE POLITICAL HUMBUG

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 178, 21 March 1932, Page 4

MORE POLITICAL HUMBUG

The most popular story in the world — re-written with a thousand variations in novels and scenarios — is Cinderella. Where is there a working girl who has not dreamed of the fairy

godmother who will change the poor pumpkin of daily drudgery into a coach and horses, or its modern equivalent, a Rolls-Royce? Where is there a working man, or a hard pressed business man (and who is not hard pressed these days?) who has not visioned the finding of an Alladin's lamp in Wall Street, Monte Carlo, Tattersall's or an ar-t union: Not from Bath to Beersheba and that is why betting and gambling in one form or another cannot be put down by Church or State. That is why vast numbers of people in Englancl subscribe to the Irish sweepstake although the English, law said that it was illegal. And that is why thousands of New Zealand pounds cross the Tasman every year to imd a draw in Tattersall's despite the fact that the New Zealand Government says "thou shalt not." Everyone knows that it is one of the simplest things in the world to buy a ticket in this sweepstake in any town, village or hamlet in the Dominion. Everyone knows also, that the bettor who wishes to invest a, modicum on a double, though the race meeting be miles away, will easily find the ever obliging bookmaker. One of the latest j manifestations of ,the desire to woo the goddess of f ortune is the i success of the series of art unions which have been condueted j m New Zealand recently. Strangely enough, the art union is j really the logical evolution of the simple church bazaar raffle, which only goes to show that both the Colonel's Lady and Judy O'Grady are also gamblers under their skins. The net results to date of the art unions have been that many worthy objects have benefitted greatly, a large number of tax-oppressed shopkeepers have netted a few shillings in commissions and Alladin has rubbed his magic lamp for a number of fortunate persons who have been lifted into comparative affluence over night. And in addition the state coffers have collected a good many thousands of pounds painlessly. Now, however, it is mooted that the Government — despite its insatiable demands for money— -is preparing to throw overboard the art union system and is getting ready for another raid on the taxpayers pocket in order to make good the thousands of pounds of revenue — about £5000 is collected from every art union and there is an art union every six weeks —which will be lost. Why ? Simply because certain members of the Cabinet are of a Puritanical turn of mmd. This Puritanism will apparently be satislied if the penchant for a simple gamble is driven underground and made a crime. Even the Minister of Internal Affairs would not be f atuous enough to try and convince the pnblic that gambling in some form or other will not persist despite any governmental edicts. Does he then expect us to believe that the purchase of a modest art union ticket is sapping the moral fibre of the country and that the purchaser is on the downward path to destruction? Indeed, we have yet to hear of the person who has pilfered his employer's till in order to indulge in an orgy of art union ticket buying; on the contrary many have slipped from the straight and narrow path of honesty through over-indulgence in forms of gambling approved by the Government, of which land and stock exchange speculations have by no means been the least noteworthy. In the name of common sense, then, let the Government leave well alone. Here is a system technically no more repugnant than horse racing, Tattersall's sweepstakes and even club or ladies' bridge; why cause irritation and resentment at a time like the present by interfering with what is in the first place a resort of the great majority of the people, in the second place a boon to worthy objects and in the third place a considerable source of revenue to the State. Let the Government, it if will, range in order of merit the causes which should benefit by art unions, but otherwise it should have some regard for the will of the majority — Hansard records the present Government's views on this subject as recently as last week when the Opposition was chided for obstructing — the majority in this case being the ordinary I people who are neither gamblers or perverts, but the great body | , of taxpayers of the country.