Gamblers snapped

Gambling in the Union Building was the subject of a motion passed at the last SRC, which deplored this activity and directed the Executive to take any action in order to halt it. The only dissenters to the motion were the gamblers themselves.

The gambling has been occurring on and off for many years. On past occasions the Union Management Committee has dispersed gambling with comparative ease but the present school in the words of the acting President, Gyles Beckford, are "abusive, offensive and aggressive". They have threatened members of the Executive with violence trying to break them up.

The sums involved are large and the chance exists that a student could get heavily in debt. A suicide in 1969 when a student jumped off Easterfield was the direct result of an unpayable gambling debt.

Although the gamblers have assured the Executive that they are a closed group, gambling is magnetic, and it is quite possible that in the future other students could join the group.

The Union stands to gain a reputation as a place for easy winnings, and sharks from downtown could arrive up here and fleece unsuspecting students.

Gambling is a criminal offence. The Students-Association is reluctant to call the police because they could extend their activities to contravene the rights of other students. Instead, the Union Management Committee is considering the use of its own disciplinary powers on persistent offenders.

—John Henderson