BISHOP ON BETTING

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20734, 18 February 1939, Page 16 (Supplement)

BISHOP ON BETTING

Weekly Flutter Permissable Comments Cause Commotion

“A man may come to no harm by allowing himself a weekly flutter for a stake he can afford without detriment to his family,” said the Bishop of Liverpool (Dr. A. A. David), at the Worcester Diocesan Conference. He was referring to the popularity of football pool betting, and he suggested that pool promoters should be licensed and registered. Mr David said he thought it wiser and healthier that ‘‘both profits and expense*; should be limited, and that a percentage of the gross takings should be appropriated for the provision of playing fields and other social amenities. It was calculated that a levy of 5 per cent, on stake money would produce £2.000,000 for •ueh purposes without affecting tha •‘lnvestor®’ ** prospects. Increase In Investors The average stake seemed to hare declined, but the number of ‘‘investors” had vastly increased, and was •till growing. Wages were reduced and children suffered. Lavish expenditure on publicity provided an education in gambling. The Betting and Lotteries Act, 1034, had confined pools to professional promoters, thus creating a monopoly. "The result has been that last seaton £40.000,000 was collected and handled by a group of ten firms. No accounts are published, but their net profits cannot be less than £2,000,000. Therp is no complaint about the conduct of their business or their treatment of their employees. But the question does arise whether businesses of such a nature and on such a scale ought to be left uncontrolled In private hands.” The bishop asked church people not to he contont with mere denunciation. “Let them try to understand why people bet.” he said, ‘‘and encourage the prospect of a time when the daily labour of the working class should be less dull and monotonous, and their leisure better provided with opportunities for a due admixture of wholesome excitement and adventure.” The Archdeacon of Dudley suggested that one of the reasons the imagination of the people was caught by pools was the chance of Winning £20,000 for a penny, but he did not think whole-

sale condemna«ton did any good. He thought the sc-andal could be dealt with by limiting the prize, say, to 500, even 1000, times the stake. Difficult to Discern A delegate told the conference that he could not see the difference between spending a shilling on the pools or a shilling on a raffle in a church bazaar. In pools the exercise of skill largely attracted people, whereas the gamble of a church bazaar was a pure gamble. (Laughter.) The Rural Dean of Salford (Canon Peter Green )said the church's atti- < tude towards betting had been surrounded by a moral mist, but the words of the Rishop of Liverpool had changed It into a dense moral fog. “I cannot imagine anything more deplorable than that the opinion expressed by the Rishop of Liverpool should go out as ihe opinion of the Church.” he said. He knew one youth who lost 37s in one week and whose mother, a 3>oor widow, had to pawn half the things in the house in consequence. In a post office he had seen a man out of work sending a postal order for 3s 6d to a pool, and a women who always begged from him and whose children were permanently under-nourished sending one for 3s. “The truth is, as any probation officer will tell you. that in many cases children are under-nourished and wives go short. In addition, the pools lead to continual attempis at fraud. "A Dreadful Thing” “Some years ago the Bishop of Liverpool, used the argument that it would not be considered wrong, is many people did it without any sense of doing wrong. I could have wept. It is a really dreadful thing that a man in the Bishop’®; position should talk on moral questions and neglect the first element in moral teaching." Canon Green moved a resolution which condemned football pools is “mischievous both to the community and the individual.” and he expressed the hope that the Government would take action against them by way of prohibition or restrfrtfnns. He called on church people to *help to “rid the community of this menace.” The resolution was carried.

SAFE MONEY "Just insert this advertisement,” said a weary-looking man to the clerk “ ‘£loo reward to any person who will return Mack Persian cat to Mr> etc.” “Isn't that a big sum for a cat ” “It was my wife’s pet cat.” “Still—” “Oh. that’s all right. 1 drowned the bally thing.” NO CHANCE “I didn’t like the looks of that pretty maid you engaged, so I discharged her this morning,” remarked the woman of the house. “Really? replied her husband, ‘be-

ONLY A PUTT Golfer: Tf you don’t stop chattering you'll drive me clean out of my mind. Wife: That wouldn’t he a drive; it would only be a short putt! NO SOCIAL ROUNDER A native of the Wild and Wholly West had ridden into town to do some shopping. As the assistant wrapped up the annual pair of he-man’s ranch socks he asked: “Anything else to-day? What about some pyjamas?” “Young feller.” replied the he-man. ”1 ain't no social rounder. When night comes I goes to bed.”