Catholic Priest Runs Workmen's Totalisator Club

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 408, 17 December 1932, Page 13

Catholic Priest Runs Workmen's Totalisator Club

GAMBLING IS INHERENT, HE EXPLAINS

AMERItY, wiiiU-haired little Roman Catholic priest, with the bluest of eyes and the kindest ot" smiles, is Father Carless, who conducts, in the heart of London's dockland, a totalisator club.

He lives in Ihe presbytery oi St. Ann's Church, Custom House, Lontlon, where he was appointed nearly 10 years ago. The St. Ann's Social Club, which he founded in an old tin hut, now has 1200 members, including 200 women. But the tin hut has been replaced by a palatial building that cost £11,000, in Berwick Road, Custom House. Father Carless borrowed tbe money for the new building, and is going to repay it out of the tote procecds. When the debt is cleared he will use the proiits for social services, which include special educational facilities hitherto denied to the people of dockland. The club building has a dance lnill and concert liall, an open-air boxing arena capable of seating 300o people, a roof garden, a fully licensed bar, billiard tables, rest rooras, hot batbs, an orchestra, and a kitchen. "Gambling is inherent," Father Car less said to a "Daily Mail" reporter, "and I am going to provide a legai method for my men so that they can get a fair deal. Often, with street bookmakers, they never get their pro. pcr money when they win; here they must get 90 per cent. of the pvoceeds. which make quite good odds. "The fee for membership is oniy 1/-, and the comihittee is now working on a plan to enable unemployed men to become members on even better terms."

A total of 800 bets was taken on the evening the tote was opened, which was in October last, the occasion being the West Hani greyhound ineeting. The prices were G and 7 points over the bookmakers' odds on the course. For the first race it paid 9/C for each unit of 2/-. Father Carless had one or two bets, but did not win anything. "So far," said Father Carless, the next day, "not a solitary indignant letter has arrived! Still, they will eome." He laughed. "1 am looliing forward to opening them. t

"1 don't pretend that my tote is a J means of bringing souls to me to.be saved. I don't ask my punters what their rellgion Is, and I am not going I

to cram any beliefs down their throats that they don't ask for. "I believe in gambling in moderation, I believe in drink in moderation, but I hate this awful hypocrisy which is gripping us. "My tote is square. There is a special room for women, and wives can bet through their husbands. "1 hope that it will put a check to credit street betting, which is a bad thing because people wager r beyond their means soinetimes."