ANTI-GAMBLING CRUSADE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81841, 6 September 1906, Page 2

ANTI-GAMBLING CRUSADE.

There was only a moderate attendance at the anti-gambling- demonstration at the Theatre Royal on fi'ednesday evening, the Mavor (Mr 1-.. Dockrjll) presiding, at the r-<juc« ol the Council of the Churches. The Rev. Evans opened the meeting with prayer, after which the Mayor asked the Rev. Evans to move the first resolution,'as follows : "That; in view of the growing evil of gambling in this odonv, which is. seriously , injuring the mofiiliiv, of our national life, this cal's on all true citizens to discountenance it in every pi.ssib'e way." The lev.' gentleman;referred.to : 'the enormous aui' unt ol money which gambling- dieeited from the channels of legitimate trade. Of course, every man who gambled was not a thie'l any WW!! than . a Im.e. was- a drunkard. The prill ciple of gambling was wrcny, being merely an attempt to obtain somedung- without legiiimati l ].iayment or iafjour, or effort. It desiryved the moral balance „f men. and boys, "t a iini!;rmi-d gaiubior wou'd st<-al in '> ilei- io gambV. Ciamb'ing killed .mmMj , . and gniib.ing. killed, effort, a.nd giiiiib'ing k lled sport, for sport B:l; ' la- playing of ii game fur the l ' i ' vr °f 'lie game, bill'- nowadays .'lemething on thi'm." ''l'cor old sport ;» d'atl," said the speaker, "belting |.,as killed him.'-' The final a-guiiieat was that .gambling was contrary to t^i ;■ Christian ridigion, lor-jt oi-stroyed ija- lave cne for an-otai-r.

J he Ivv. Osborne seconded, setHiig Kambiing down as a worse evil than drinking. Measuring bv Holy Script tire the aigume.nts ■in 'iavoin oi , he. .iound ihem wantinjf. .He traced gambling lo "(he love. of . money, winch is ,lhe root of a:l evil," for when people gambled it showed they -cared more for the t.inu;.'; ol earth than for th<* Divine hleasing. Any man who attempted : !'! 0' r o>:c-epi J,y the sweat of his lace ,u brain. was aciing contrary I.■ the "f Gcd. lie de-mum,-ed .gambling inland, so rife in laranaki a y«\jr or two age. Comin.!', to the ra''Tco u i-;-r, he stated he loved Ikm.scs, and lovi-d'tn' spc a hor.'e tn. but Iv w u'.d i.ot h:ni'ir]f iiy v; lilur'n;;' r• ii racecourse V.'JIOTC n-wmirbv and mtfut'Uiiai man co-.; 1 ! h<- by 'dv scm::i and nreaotvOf Au-lndasa. ' lie would nut be ashamed to with tin 1 horses, but would ma be sen with tho mud-sral of s:-cL-ty to be f;>und tlere. i'li" motion was carred. M'" ■''i : iopl. of the Pumnive Meihodis'; CmilYr.-nce. moved, 11 I. ha;. as by Ic^a'i^in^ - the tolabsalor. llw Government <f this country ha-. made to be apparently im.r.d and tv-pcciab'e, and iherehy i;iealdy increased uis v c.» the community, this inei'lin;; ur,L»«'-s up n th»' and the llou-e of Repiovn'ativos to take iiniai.j action to abolish the uta'isatnr." The mover fpmsti pried ihv , that thex uaabsatm' madiv'.'licnflsi'. 1 and qtiotod figures to show that from the !jM'.'i'i- S in«- of tho - machine in i<Si)i until the -'.ist Maieh, i»)o5. ilnae had ml • thn the machine; the toW hhel pr«>bab!y r.-ached 5,0(10.000 by now. The "hunosi" appearance nf the jolulisaM»r h'd many o> wlio wi:uld not think cf a book-, ntakcr. 'llk> intnlisatnr was mining (rue and it was no "sport" to 1 bri on laces bundled miles away. w iih le' r odds. 11 > condi'mned ili'' ('.'oeinnn'iu f'U" ta kinr,lve--10•»' fioio (he t' laiisalcr. and oljjecti"l ti; ixMiiK thus uia;'e a partner in iV'-diny "u th" vices of the people. The Kev. T. ("1. Jlveoke (l'lesident of til' 1 Aieth' diiu Confer'nee) doaH wiili th'* (juestit.n in his forc.Tnl siy'e, seci the m<;lh;n. \\ hy had .the U,.n ? At the that Act ii.-had i 'bivn ?ia:e({ th«- machine would abolish th<> bookmaker. li.id ii done vi ? The answer was found i n \] u . | ul n- t . }nci in the number of b .. kmak rs, tl:e (Ti•:1 o-ov made by r.ie'ny. nub- evervwhere to ;h-' b: nkioal-e!' and tiie ai lion ut ilie (io\einnient in culling off ihe bonk makei.s le'epb'Mvs. Aleanv. hi!.' ihe bookmaker thrived en his calling, because of the ,14rowth of the «ambspirit. I iu y had Ijejn told it wou'd reduce til!' v «Unne of K'atnl)' 1 ii'i.l;. I lad il dnn\\).<\ ? \o ; ; m( | ilie lli l ' puip (, the Ihnch, and ilie i'ir;:/n< wen- Uyin.t; to cepe wit!i the increase. lie condemned in si athiny, terms ili:- (.hinlei bury jockey Cub * imi'vation, a oLaii-;a.(or eali.ince "|.;r ladies 1 nlv." ll'' rel>'ned to th.- Aoi i.'.uol nler\ olh,cia! lepert ih;e pi'-due.-tl as rti.iiiy ci'nua.ils did diink, 01 o! i« | i;i 11 •( ala i-\ a nem >1 \ mni.; lie n. Tla-u I lie s -i' >'. v (100 ilie ma' h'n<- ii d ia,!'d. pi'tinii:.»\i, i'» 1 educe die l .r-ca'il ; wiiii a atlend'Nl lacr Till- j 011 rite inereas.y and e\ei; race ! illeelniu to ihe OmUI ol .-] Jlel■ |-S \\ he' lie. d on t lie race j eeure. '1 1,1- pciple musi choke thW evil, or Mo «-vil and its r. -uhs'w ukl < ihe puriiy of the lite ol our boy- and. Tiie re«-c;uli !1 V. a l ' car; "d. ' M the 111111 i■;. 1 1.1 ,\\y |,icPiarmid, nd d b, M'■ i', (\ >.d,iere, ij \\ s *1 f d< d Iti in] .1 d CO]) r, [i[ ih,' re f: '-i- "!i s I: ■' ' I'n'iii: l l and the