“MORAL PERIL”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1049, 13 August 1930, Page 9

“MORAL PERIL”

PROTEST against revival OF ART UNIONS by presbytery Roundly condemning what he described as “the present riot of art unions in New Zealand,' 7 the Rev. W. Lawson Marsh moved a series of resolutions of protest against the system a t yesterday’s meeting of the Auckland Presbytery. The resolutions were adopted. “I would like to quote a certain distinguished gentleman of this city, who said that the Minister of Internal tfairs was more than a moral peril to New Zealand,’ 4 said Mr. Marsh, who is convenor of the Public Questions Committee. During the 18 months euded on March 31 last, 12 art unions were Leld and they made a total profit of £126,300. but it cost £91,000 to produce this. In one particular case £6.100 was spent to get a return of £IOO. RESOLUTIONS moved He moved the following resolutions: — "In view of the present Government's action in reviving art unions in the Dominion, in spite of the assurance given us by the late Prime Min- j ister, the Right Hon. J. G. Coates, that i •his colleagues were unanimous that ] it was not in the public interest that ! this kind of thing should go on,’ and of his subsequent action in bringing 1 such art unions to an end on March 1 31. 1927, we. the Presbytery of Auckland, affirm: "(1) The Act relating to art unions was not framed with the intention of making legal such permissions as the Minister of Internal Affairs is at i present granting. “(2) The extension of the present permissions for art unions to New Zealand's national game of Rugby for the alleged 'good of the game,’ is specially to be condemned, for it is well known that gambling corrupts every sport which it is allowed to touch. "(3) The advertisements in connection with the present art unions are particularly harmful. “(4) The Minister of Internal Affairs in granting these permissions is thus ; promoting and spreading both the spirit and practice of gambling throughout the Dominion. "(5) Lotteries flourished in England : [or over 250 years, being adopted for ; worthy causes.’ A select committee j of the House of Commons, after caneful inquiry, reported: ‘The foundation i of the lottery system is so radically j vicious that your committee feel convinced that under no system of regulations which can be devised will it be possible to adopt it as an efficacious source of revenue, and at the same time divest it of all the evils of which it has hitherto proved so baneful a source.’ Consequently the lottery system was declared a ‘moral pestilence’ and abolished by Act of Parliament. The attitude of the present Government is therefore all the more I to be deplored in that it is acting either in ignorance or in spite of the clear guidance of experience. Presbytery therefore directs all faithful people under its care to discountenance these are unions, both by precept and example; and further, strongly j requests that the Minister of Internal Affairs immediately reverts to the situation as it was when he assumed office.’’

All these resolutions were adopted without discussion.