Review of Review», l/7f06. 



Gambiin^ in Australta. 



31 



This picture shows the back gate of the notorious Col- 

 lin^wood 'Tote." It is the way l)y which entrance is 

 gaiued bj- those wlio frequent the place. The 

 front of the allotment holds a building used 

 as a tea shop, rarely or never u.sed by visitors. 

 A little group of men stands in front of the 

 high wall, and the guarded gate is open. The 

 place is really a kind of right-of-way. The 

 place referred to in ti)e article, where tlie 

 " Tcte ■■ gambling is carried on, is in the yard, 

 ostensibly a wo(3d ,^ard. The high wall is sur- 

 mounted b.v barbed wire. This is the place 

 which has successfuU.v defied the law for years 

 When the photo, was taken, business was 

 dull. Only a few men were about. The photo- 

 grapher is of course nameless. The photo, is 

 a rtcent one. being taken only a few days 



factory girls and boys are enabled to pool tlwir 

 threepences and sixpences and even pennies on 

 wager. Cases are not wanting of men whose wives 

 stake large portions of the week's earnings on the 

 "■ Totes,'' of boys and girls the whole of whose earn- 

 ings do not go to their parents, the remainder being 

 for " Tote " tickets. A favourite suburban agency for 

 the main " Tote '' is the tobacconist or lolly shop, 

 and I have first-hand and reliable proof of the 

 stream of callers, largely composed of children, on 

 Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, at some 

 of tlittse places. Here the thing is, a nest 

 of scoundrels, a den of thieves, saturating 

 the community with a gambling spirit, and, 

 not content with that, carrying on an aggres- 

 sive war of evil against constituted authority ; a 

 gigantic organisation of wrong apparently ready to 

 resort to violence and murder should anybod\ be 

 foolish enough to lift a hand against them. 



But hands are being lifted against them in spite 

 of what may happen, and some are determined to 

 see the thing through, no matter what it may mean 

 to them. This nest of demons has got to be de- 

 stroyed, but it must also be made impossible for the 

 demons to continue their work anv longer. 



Xearl)- e\ery one of the members connected with 

 the " Tote " business in Melbourne ought to be 

 under lock and key, sening under indeterminate 

 sentence. 



The signs of awakening in Vict(jria are marvel- 

 lous. Even this month it is actually quite fashion- 

 able for men to take part in the movement who a 

 month ago would not ha\e touched it for a ^£50- 

 note. But everybody is welcome. Every man who 

 will fight, no matter whether his motive be personal 

 or otherwise, is needed in the army to put down this- 

 wrong. A powerful committee, formed by the 

 Methodist Church, and now of an undenominational 

 character, representing nearly every Church in the 

 community (every one of the Protestant ones) and 

 including nearly everj- branch of commerce, will 

 probably before this article appears, have waited 

 upon Mr. Bent to deal with the matter. Mr. Bent 

 has stated his sympathy generally with the move- 

 ment, and much is expected from the Government 

 during the coming session. If it does not come, 

 there ought to be such a revolt of the people against 

 the authority that could, if it w^ould, put down this 

 giant wrong, that it would be removed from its place 

 ne\-er to lift up its head again. For the safety of 

 the cause of law and order is threatened. 



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