[To THE EDITOR OP THE " SpEcrAroz."]
SIR,—.1.8 not gambling, from the economist's point of view, a case of "unproductive expenditure," and as such to be "ruled out of court " without delay ? If I spend money on Henri Deux ware, or beautify my house, or even build a " Folly," as Beckford did, I am in some sense a contributor to the com- munity. But the money I win in gambling represents no equivalent to the man from whom I win it; and for the money I lose, what equivalent have I ? Would you, Sir, teach your boy the spot-stroke in billiards, that thereby he might earn his livelihood ? Would it not be earned at the expense of the community P I have tried hard, as I suppose every teacher has, to reach some unassailable ground whence gambling could be attacked. But this appears to me the only one. If it be simply a game of chance, in which you win, you have no right to your winnings, for they represent no corresponding gain to the community ; and if you lose, the world is so much the poorer by your losings, for they represent no corresponding gain to you. It reminds one of the ancient question of the " broken window." Is it not good for trade ? No, for there is one window the less in the universe !—I am, Sir, &c.,
F. G. MONTAGU POWELL.
The Parsonage, Dalkeith, N.B.
[Who is the richer for a flower fete, or the ascent of a balloon ? Is it morally wrong to pay money to see these sights ? An affirmative answer would surely be simply ridiculous.—ED. Spectator.)
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