GAMBLING IN AUCKLAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 November 1915, Page 8

GAMBLING IN AUCKLAND.

ROULETTE TABLES IX QUEEN STREET. PROTEST TO THE GOVERNMENT. Auckland, Nov. 10. At the meeting of the Auckland Presbvterv lust night the following resolution 'was passed unanimously, on the motion of the Rev. I. Jolly: i»e Auckland Presbvterv wishes to bring before the Hon. the Minister for Internal Afl'aira the following facts. That one night last week, we believe, on the evening of 3rd of November, a gambling table, or tables, of the same class as roulette, said to have been of the kind known as les petit chevaux, and much used at 'Monte Carlo, was freely used in Queen Street, Auckland; that a large crowd of people was around it; that aamffling went on freely; and the police did not interfere. It is freely stated this was in connection with the Auckland Carnival. The Auckland Presbyterv would remind the Minister for Internal Affairs that some time .ago he assured the Presbytery of Auckland that it was the intention of the Cabinet to enforce the law in the conduct of these carnivals. The Presbytery would therefore respectfully request the Minister for Internal Affairs to have the matters above referred to inquired into, and have what was surely a gross violation 01 the law of New Zealand dealt with according to law." It was agreed that a copy of the above resolution be sent to the Premier, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the | Minister of Justice, and the Mayor of Auckland, as president of the Patriotic League.

In speaking to the motion, Mr. Jolly said that those who were responsible for those gambling practices, which tend to demoralise the community, were guilty of most unpatriotic conduct. He further said he believed that those who objected to those gambling practices were among the most generous givers to the funds; and that in other ways the people of the Christian churches had taken the lead in patriotic service. So far as Auckland Presbytery is concerned three of its ministers had already gone or were going to the front, and seven sons of Auckland Presbyterian ministers were at the front, and the young men of their churches had freely gone on active service. Mr. Jolly further read an extract from the Melbourne Argus, which showed that in Australia, while one-third of the young men between the ages of 19 and 27 had enlisted that "inside the churches the proportion of enlistments runs from twothirds to three-fourths, or even more." Mr. Jolly added that we might expect those young men who were accustomed to hear the claims of conscience and duty pressed upon them, as was done in the churches, would be more likely to respond to the call of duty than those who were accustomed to view life mainly from the standpoint of pleasure.