Shop Betting And Young People - A Woman’s Perspective (1938)

Shop Betting And Young People - A Woman’s Perspective (1938).

Some interesting comments about the impact of betting and gambling on young people in 1938 from Mrs. F. Cardell-Oliver, elected Nationalist member for Subiaco in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, Mrs. J. A. Joyner, the founder of the Little Citizens League and Subiaco born lawyer and political activist Margaret Battye.


West Australian, 24 September 1938.

SHOP BETTING. THE WOMAN'S VIEWPOINT. "A Blot on the Community."

Prominent Perth women, representatives of welfare organisatlons, yesterday condemned shop betting in scathing terms, among which were "a blot on the community," "Intolerable cancer” and "unmoral, unchristian uneconomic and anti-social."
“I would like unreservedly to support the remarks of Mrs. F. Cardell-Oliver, ML.A., published in yesterday's issue of The West Australian,” said Miss Margaret Battye, one of Perth's women lawyers and a prominent social worker. “The demoralising effect of shop betting on youth Is appalling, especally when it is considered that it is not for the love of the sport but for the possible gain they might derive. Week after week, entire Saturday afternoons are devoted to making bets in a fetid and unmoral atmosphere, to standing about in groups on footpaths and in gutters, surrounded by many of the lowest types of humanity. This degrading association conduces towards an unbalanced frame of mind, together with a warped civic outlook in which all things are possible, evidenced, as Mrs. Cardell-Oliver indicated, by the Increasing number of convictions in the Children's Court. I would like to stress the fact that to eradicate shop betting, no new legislation is necessary, it merely requiring an adequate enforcement of the laws already in existence."
“The suggestion that this pernicious evil should be legalised is nothing short of monstrous," continued Miss Battye, "and our Administration may well feel shamed, firstly, of its cowardice in dealing with the menace and not enforcing the present laws, and, secondly, because of the lack that it has even entertained the of dealing with this evil by the spineless method of legIslation."
“The sooner the blot on the community of starting-price betting shops is wiped out, the better for the morals and ideals of the rising generation," said the president of the National Council of Women of Western Australia (Mrs. C. P. Rutherford), "I am absolutely opposed to the iniquity of starting-price betting. The evil should be eradicated, lock, stock and barrel before it gains a stranglehold on youth-the future leaders of the State. Putting aside its consequent evils, it has a bad influence on both young and old as it Is permitting the breaking of the law even encouraging its violation for the revenue that is being reaped,"

Uneconomic and Anti-Social

“As an organisation," said the secretary of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, "we are opposed to the evil of the starting-price betting shop as it has a demoralising effect. The betting shop legalises in our public thoroughfares that which is unmoral, unchristian, uneconomic and anti-social. That which is morally wrong must for ever remain wrong even though it be legalised by an Act of Parliament. Gambling is against Christian ethics and- therefore must be contrary to good citienship."
The opinion that the youth of today was not entirely to blame for the "Intolerable cancer of the betting shop," was expressed by the (founder of the Little Citizens League Mrs. A. E. Joyner). Mrs. Joyner said: "You cannot blame the youths entirely as they are only following the pernicious example set them by their elders who frequent betting shops, making light of the breaking and continual flouting of the law. It is one of the most disgraceful features of the community and I am appalled, shocked and amazed at the example being set to youth."
“If it is against the law," continued Mrs. Joyner, "why are the shops allowed to remain open? And in common with many citizens indeed the majority I would like to know the reason, officially, although there Is no need to search very far. Apart from its unmoral aspect, there seems to be no sport in going to a shop, placing money on a horse and waiting on the pavement to hear the results over the wireless. It is not a sport but a means to an end-the end being the gaining of a little easy money, while the stimulation received in the atmosphere of the betting shop induces acts which normally would be repulsive. Legislation Is not the remedy, the only avenue of success lying in the total eradication of the betting shops from the streets of Western Australia."