Presbyterians oppose gambling
The subject of the recent report of the Racing Commission was brought before the Dunedin Presbytery at its meeting yesterday morning by the Rev W. Trotter. In reporting on behalf of the Public Questions Committee, Mr Trotter said that the attitude of the Presbytery towards the whole matter was perfectly well known. They had no sympathy whatever with legislative gambling in any form. That being their general position, they were not at all in favour of increasing racing permits, as proposed by the commission. They certainly thought that the less we had of these race meetings, the better. They looked at the matter from the moral point of view — not that they left out of account altogether the social and economic evils connected with race meetings in these days. These were very great in themselves, and he thought that both the Otago Daily Times and the Evening Star were to be congratulated on the articles that they had published criticising the report of the commission. (Applause).
The Public Questions Committee desired ministers and office bearers to give careful attention to that report. It might be well for them to introduce the subject in their pulpits. They must realise that in order to combat the widespread evil they must do what they could to indoctrinate their people with the moral issues involved in the customs of the day. They did not say a word against legitimate sport but they deplored it when games and legitimate sport were taken advantage of to foster the gambling spirit.
Correspondence lessons to start
Wellington: The Education Department is adopting a system of correspondence classes for the benefit of children who cannot be reached by schools. A similar system is an operation in Victoria, where it has been found to give excellent results. The department, working through the post office, will provide means for the education of children under the direction of their own parents. The Minister of Education, referring to this matter, said that he had decided to ask education boards to announce by advertisement that the department was prepared to arrange for the education of children by correspondence in isolated districts where no school existed, or where schools were of grade 0 (fewer than nine children). Tuition would be given by a teacher specially appointed in a training college. The scheme would also provide for children living in lighthouses.
—ODT, 3.8.1921.
