DOG RACING.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19142, 27 October 1927, Page 8

DOG RACING.

THE " TIN-HARE " CRAZE. betting in n.z. illegal. [THB PBEBS Special S»rrfce.] WELLINGTON, October 2(5. The evils of tin-hare racing are not regarded by the Leader of the Legislative Council as of such tu're as to warrant immediate lestiic tive legislation. Sir Francis Bell made a ieply to this effect following a discussion which occurred on J ° Offences Bill m the Council to-ckj. The subject was raised by the Hon. Mr Keed,. who asked the Leadei of the Council if he thought dog racing should be permitted without the pievi ous consent of the Minister for Intel nal Affairs, in the same way as Ilol.se racing was at present' safeguarded. "From what we read, he said, lam sure we don't want tin-haie 1 » carried on in New Zealand in the same way as in other parts of the British Empire. It is not to the advantage or the country. It will be very hard to check once it is introduced, and now is the time, before it is introduced, to bring in safeguards so that it may not take possession of the gambling element as it has done in other parts or the Empire." He asked the Leader of the Council to consider the question of legislation. , , . The Hon. Mr Cohen remarked that he was not sur<!> that it should be controlled by the Minister for Internal Affairs, who was concerned only- with the issue of permits, and the allocation of dates. He did not think evil would 1)© cured by leaving it to the control of the Minister. He agreed that the issue would be whether tin-< hare racing as a sport should bo allowed to come in, or whether it should be kept out. "I say unhesitatingly," said Mr Cohen, "that we 4 should make up our minds to keep it out. It will only encourage gambling, which is, far too rife already." - "I must say I don't support the idea of putting any further trouble on the Minister for Internal Affairs," said Sir Francis Bell, "but an inspector of police might exercise control, as in the case of boxing and wrestling." Replying to the general question, he said that betting was illegal, and certainly tin-hare racing yould'not get the totalisator. "I think it "will be time to legislate," he continued, "if we find that dog racing, without betting, is causing a number of people of undersirable charr 'ter to gather together, as at race meetings, or outside the gates of race courses. However, I don't think there is need for legislation at present. In New South Wales, I think, they have prohibited betting 011 dog races, betting being otherwise not illegal in that State. If dog racing is started here, and it is found that people are betting, I don't think there will be the same public sympathy with the bookmaker or the .bettor as there is in horse racing. t I believe we shall find that the police are able very quickly to deal with that class of betting, just as they are able to deal very completely with gaming in New Zealand. I won't make any promise, and say that there will be any legislation under the Police Offences Act this year to deal with dog racing, but I can say that if dog racing becomes established in the Dominion, in the interests of our revenue wc shall have to take drastic measures to stop it, because if money is diverted to dog racing, as ithas been in England, it will mean a very serious loss of revenue. You will have not only racing enthusiasts, but also the Minister for Finance up against it, and if the Minister gets to work, you may be sure that the legislation will be drastic."