246 



The Review of Reviews. 



September 1, 1906. 



actions between man and man, and the eighth com- 

 mandment, " Thou shalt not steal," is wisely inter- 

 preted in our Church catechism to mean, " To be 

 true and just in all my dealings." It is an honest 

 thing to seek to acquire money, for the love of 

 money, and not money itself, is ^aid to be the root 

 of all evil. We must acquire it honestly, and use it 

 honestly with a sense of stewardship in everything 

 we possess, whether it be great or small. 



Starting from these principles we declare betting 

 and gambling to be in themselves unjust. It is pos- 

 sible to argue that the legislation of betting so as 

 to regulate it by machinery would do a\vay with some 

 of the evils at present attending the system. Whilst 

 allowing this the Church's answer is, What is morally 

 wrong, caiuiot be politically expedient or right. No 

 State can ultimately succeed which bases its legisla- 

 tion upon principles confessedly wrong. Our great- 

 est difficulty lies with those persons who indulge in 

 thoughtless betting, and who justify it by saying, I 

 never risk more than I can afford to pay. Another 

 large class of persons say quite honestly, " What 

 would be the use of going to the races if I could 

 not bet?" In answer to both of these contentions, I 

 reply in the words of an old writer, " He that means 

 to make his games lawful, must not plav for money 

 but for refreshment," and again, " If a man be will- 

 ing or indifferent to lose his own money, and not at 

 all desirous to get another's, to what purpose is it that 

 he plays for it; if he be not indifferent, then he is 

 covetous, or he is a fool ; he covets that which is not 

 his own, or unreasonably ventures that which is. If, 

 without the money he cannot mind his game, then 

 the game is no recreation, but the money is all the 

 sport, and therefore co\'etousness is all the design." 

 Rid all games in private life, and all sports and races 

 in public of money, and make them trial of skill, 

 and then we can all share in them. Some element of 

 chance may still be present, but it will lead to no 

 harm. In a pure game of billiards there is no chance 

 present, and skill, whether conscious or unconscious, 

 governs every stroke. In a game of whist the shuf- 

 fling of the cards determines their distribution by 

 chance, but when the play begins skill determines 

 the result of the game. The game of bridge has 



largely displaced that of whist, simply because it 

 lends itself more easily to gambling, and this in spite 

 of the contention that it affords more scope for the 

 exercise of skill. 



I should like to make an appeal to public authori- 

 ties in Australia to take in hand the organisation 

 of the public holidays. There is about these days a 

 contagious enthusiasm which is altogether wholesome 

 and gcK)d. The wheels of duty and labour are stop- 

 ped for a few brief hours, and the whole community 

 of every class is seized with the joyous spirit of re- 

 laxation and amusement. Many persons have their 

 ow-n ways of spending such a holiday which are in- 

 nocent and refreshing, but multitudes ask the ques- 

 tion, " What has been publicly provided for their 

 pleasure?" Why should the racecourse be almost the 

 only place provided for so many people on a public 

 holiday? My appeal, then, to the public authori- 

 ties is this : Organise for every public holiday old 

 English sports — jumping, and a score of other 

 games which would afford interest and pleasure for 

 thousands of people Rigidly exclude any form of 

 betting and offer prizes to be won by skill. In this 

 way in the great halls of cities, and on cricket 

 grounds a day of innocent and wholesome games 

 would bring refreshment to tens of thousands of peo- 

 ple. I have been told by many persons that they 

 would be willing to give their services in organising 

 such gatherings. Hitherto the holiday-maker in 

 Australia has turned instinctively to the racecourse, 

 because it offers him the excitement of a pleasurable 

 holiday, and he has joined in the common betting be- 

 cause most people do the same. My suggestions, 

 therefore, are twofold. First, that the Church should 

 faithfully adhere to her declaration that gambling 

 is dishonest in principle, that she should teach this 

 in her schools and from her pulpits, that to enforce 

 it she should bind everyone by a pledge to abstain 

 from betting and gambling ; and, secondly, that she 

 should join with public bodies and public-spirited 

 men to organise innocent, healthy and amusing 

 games and sports for public holidays, and join in 

 teaching the whole community how it is possible to 

 be both merrv and wise. 



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