ETHICS OF GAMBLING.

Shannon News, 21 August 1923, Page 3

ETHICS OF GAMBLING.

- ♦ HUNTING INSTINCT-' DEGRADED. .Some interesting remarks on gambling were made by Mr J. \Y. Poynton, S.M.; in giving a decision in a lottery case -in the „■ Auckland Police Court last week. . "Canting and gambling,'" lie said, "are due to a perversion of the hunting instinct still strong in most of us. Our ancestors, beiore entering the pastoral and agricultural stages of social'lite, depended mostly on the chase for an, existence. The man who did not possess/: this' instinct strongly was at a disadvantage- and. died out, leaving no representatives. The hunter survived, and.left descendants from whoni we all njore or less inherit this fine instinct, [jlvjhich, if applied to good purposes, 'wins e'veu from, secretive nature her secrets and exalts man individually and collectively to higher planes. Unfortunately, like many other primitive instincts, and emotions, it is often degraded to base uses, the worst of which is gambling —that is chasing after the other fellow's money or goods." -•

In countries where there was no restriction on that vice, he continued, there was an obvious deterioration of character. Instead of habits of study, industry, arid thrift, its devotees ' give their time and talents to superstitious .observances in the hope and endeavour to obtain something from omen 3,..dreams, prayers, fortunetellers,' lucky numbers, charms, mascots, or other ridiculous-means of expected success. Parasites increased, crime was resorted to to get money to gamble with. These things occurred too frequently, even here. ■Herbert- Spencer had pointed out the injury to the community through gambling' A suit of clothes was made by one-member for another. The receiver' paid for the suit. He was getting something better than his money, or he would not have paid for it. The maker of the suit got more value in the money, and each had rendered a sendee to the other. The gambler, however, tried to get nnotlier's money, without giving an equivalent, so the whole thing was anti-social and injurious to the community. '...-,.