“A CURSE UPON SPORT”

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 21, 16 April 1927, Page 13

“A CURSE UPON SPORT”

THE GAMBLING EVIL CHURCH CONFERENCE PERTURBED “Gambling tends to destroy all sport. Every iflan of us wants to see sport kept clean, but gambling is a curse upon it; the love of the game lias gone,” was Mr. Howard Earl’s startling indictment during an address on “The Gambling Evil” at the seventh annual conference of the Associated Churches of Christ, in the Ponsonby Road Hall on Thursday night. “There is an urgent need of ;i Christian conference about gambling,” continued Mr. Earl. “The thing is wrong from beginning to end. “Gambling produces callousness and cunning rather than capacity, a man’s efficiency is lowered as his character deteriorates.” In the course of his address on the temperance movement Mr. R. W. Tuck, M.A. told the assembled delegates that the sentiment which had been created in this country in favour of Prohibition demanded the sending of men to Parliament .who would interpret that sentiment in the laws of the land. “A tremendous force is being deliberately and scientifically applied to the task of moulding and training the child life of the country,” said Mr. F. J. Marshall, referring to the sum spent annually on primary education. “There is one serious defect,” he affirmed, “that no official recognition is given to Almighty God.” He urged the support of the “Religious Exercises in State Schools Bill.” which was proposed to present at the next session of Parliament. In the various reports handed to the conference it was stated that the membership of the church had been increased by 217. In Southern Rhodesia, 1,000. natives had been baptised. Mr, J. Inglis Wright was re-elected general secretary of the Foreign Missions Board. The following officers were elected: President. Mr. W. D. M. Glaister (Auckland); executive, Messrs. W. 7. Mason (chairman), W. G. Carpenter (treasurer), T. Mitchell, G. Day, A. Eaton, W. Ladbrook, A. V. Williams, and R. Walsh, all of Wellington: divisional representatives, Mr. A. A. Creamer (Auckland), Mr. H. Grinstead (Manawatu), Mr. F. V. Knapp (Nelson), Mr. W. D. More (Otago and Southland). The Canterbury representative will be appointed later.