GAMBLING.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 344, 20 February 1889, Page 5

GAMBLING.

It is not a little strange that the reference to " the lot," or chance, which was orig 1 ' nally a religious ceremony of the most solemn description, should have como to be denounced by religious bodies as a pernicious practice, detrimental to public] morals, fatal to spiritual life, and ruinous j to material prosperity. While the whirli- J gig of time has brought few queerer reverses j than this, most people will agree that j the strictures on the gambling habit passed by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand yesterday, are well deserved. *' The lot "is no longer resorted to with superstitious reverence as a means of deciding important questions which baffle reason, experience and evidence, but it has degenerated into a pander to the lowest form of excitement, and the basest passion of humanity — the desire to acquh'e riches without exertion, eventhoughit should beatthecoat of ruining our fellow citizens and driving them to poverty, crime, or a suicide's grave. It may be that the reverence formerly paid to the goddess of Chance is responsible for the deep-rooted love of gambling that prevails in this irreverent age. If so, it is but right that advanced religious leaders should take an active part in undoing the mischief done by their rude prototypes, the oracles and tohungas of past ages. No one who has at heart the welfare of the colony, and the good of the rising generation, can fail to deplore the spread of the gambling spirit, and its association with sports which are in themselves excellent and praiseworthy, such as football, athletic sports, aquatic contests, &c. If a modicum of betting is required to maintain an interest in such exercises, it may bo tolerated for the sake of the good that is otherwise accomplished ; but there are other forms of sport, such as horse-racing and coursing, which cannot be defended on the same ground, and which are most closely associated with the evils of gambling. The most indefensible and flagitious of all forms of gambling, however, is that which is encouraged by the churches at fancy fairs and bazaars, for the sake of filthy lucre. In these cases there is no plea for the practice on the ground of encouragement given to manly exercises, or stimulus to improved breeding of animals : it is pure gieed of gain that actuates the churches, and they, who ought to set a high example, are found weakly following the crowd to do evil. Until the churches purge themselves ( of the abomination, it is perfectly vain for them to petition Parliament to suppress the totalisator, which is, perhaps, the most equitable and innocent form of gambling yet devised. While they beg the newspapers to give full prominence to their bazaars, lotteries and lucky-bags, it is the height of inconsistency for them to blame the press for reporting race meetings. If the churches would combine, with the press in trying to get the number of ' race meetings reduced, good would assuredly result, for the excitement engendered and kept alive by continual suburban gatherings around Auckland has a most disturbing effect, and leads to many young men going astray. But greater than all the other evils we consider to be the existence of so many billiard saloons and gaming houses in the city. The latter are, of course, carried on in defiance of law, and it would seem that some extra police vigilance or stringency of enactment were required to cope with the evil. It is in these dens, "we believe, that th 6 feverish spirit of gambling grows, as in a hotbed, and ib is much to be desired that some means could be found of crushing them out. The granting of legal recognition to the totalisator may be a mistake, as having the appearance of giving legislative encouragement to gambling ; and "if it can i be shown that it has had bad results the agitation for the suppression of the popular gaming machine would obtain greater support. The metropolitan racing clubs, if they are wise, will anticipate opposition by reducing very materially the number of suburban race meetings, many of which are totally uncalled for in the interests of sport, or, indeed, in the interests ot anything or anybody save the jockeys, speelers, and betting fraternity. Is there not room for the formation of an Anti-Gambling Association, to educate the public and influence legislation on this great question ? We commend the idea to our local philanthropists.