THE GAMING BILL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 36, 6 November 1907, Page 5

THE GAMING BILL.

REV. J. J. NORTH'S VIEWS. The Rev. J. J. North, interviewed 011 the new Gambling Bill as the. leador of the antigambling party, said that the measure marked a distinct advance. One of its main defects, from the standpoint of his party, was the absence of n clause prohibiting 7" the publication of totalisator dividends. That seemed to them to be a very radical defect. The publication of these dividends gave a tremendous impetus to "tote-odds" betting, and it was practically impossible to suppress bookmakers when a solicitation was offered to this sort of betting so direct arid easy. The provision of such a clause as he had indicated would do more to suppress betting o(l' the course than anything that could be done. ' Moreover, it would only bring New Zealand legislation into lino with the Australian.. In Australia there was no "totc-odds" betting, but formerly the solicitations to betting consisted in the publication of odds before- the evont,. Here the solicitations came from the publication of totalisator dividends after the event. The publication of bettjng odds before hand had' been prohibited'in Australia, and here the after publication of totalisator dividends should be prohibited. '.. It was a cause for satisfaction that the Bill contained no clause to increase the Government's percentage from the machine. Unfortunately, the Bill seemed to he drawn up very largely in the. interest of the racing clubs. It consolidated their interests greatly, and to that extent was not an unmitigated blessing to the country. . PRESS OPINIONS. ■ , [by telegraph.—own correspondent.] Auckland, November 5. The "New Zealand Herald," commenting upon the Gaming Bill says: While the Gambling and Lotteries Act Amendment Bill, which has been placed before • Parliament by the Government, will not satisfy those who wish to make all and every form of gambling illegal, it is a measure which deserves general approval as a step towards the elimination of a great public evil. It may bo that gambling ought to bo policed out of civil recognition; that the totalisator should'be suppressed as well as gaming houses, lotteries, Street betting, sports ground betting, and allied forms; bnt'it may also be that thrt habit is so deeply engrained in human nature-that the wisest'; course is to limit and restrict it step by stop, without attempting those drastic experiments which are so often found to defeat their own ends. However that may- be, thoso who recognise that gambling has reached a pitch when it'should' bo - encountered by legislative enactments' in the interests both of public morality and of individual safety, ought to be able to combine upon 1 the proposed measure.' They' may differ afterwards to the advisibility of..going further, but there is 110 good reason why they cannot go so-far 011 the road together, for nothing can bo said for the phases of gambling at which the proposed .Bill strikes, and oven tho totalisator evil would be reduced by the refusal of the telegraph offices to accept or deliver under the conditions set' forth instructions' as to "investment." Moreover, the restrictions proposed could be very generally enforced, and if this were done we should probably find that gambling'would soon cease to be the demoralising influence and wholesale evil that it is at present. ' ■'• . ■' . The "Star's" opinions 011 the Bill are put thus:-The Gaming and Lotteries Act Amendment'Bill is certainly a very drastic measure, and.-tho fact't-hat it should be deemed necessary to impose such severe, restrictions upon gambling indicates the ( wide scoiic of this great; evil and. the extent to which it appears to have infected every portion' of our social; system. Indeed, the 'object of .the Hill is so laudable and salutary that there is some prqtind for fear lest- our legislators may he inclined 'to run to, extremes, not only byway of coercive enactments, but by delegating perhaps excessive 'powers to the officials nuthoi'ised»to carry tlio law . ' ,

■' Chrlstchurch, November 5: : \ Thd ►Times'' approves of tho Gaming Bi,l. which, it says, more than redeems the .promises Tthati have been made, by the Premie' I ', to tho various deputations that have waited upon i him in connection with the gambling ovil. : Short of abolishing the totalizator, itgoes as far as'any momber of these deputations can have reasonably eNpccted, an I is unquestionably the most drastic measure of; the kind tliat has ever been • submitted to Parliament. Tho paper expresses' tho hope that "those good people • who were hoping, liko ouijsqlves, for the abolition of the totalisator, will not imperil its passage by reject-, ing proposals .which will, after all, carry them

ii very long way towards the goal they are seeking. 1 ' AN M.H.R.'S OPINION. / [BT TELEOItAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Auckland, Novfimber 5.' '■ Mr; Alfred'Kidd, M.H.'11., in tlio course of an interview, this' morning, said regarding the Gaming Bill:—" 1. believe will find that the Bill is a really workable moasure, .which should give satisfaction to everyone, always excepting those people who wish to put a. stop to gambling altogether, which" is,' of courso, a very difficult matter to carry out-. The Bill is satisfactory, inasmuch that it defines the position of gambling as far as sports aro concerned, and limits the area in which it is allowed. • The Bill also provides for the ljcensing by clubs of respectable men. as bookmakers. ■ I think this will have tlio offect of doing advay with the feature that annoys so many people, •' namely, betting at tho corners of the main streets. Under this Bill the betting is confined to within i the limits of the Club ground, and cannot, therefore, bo objected to except by those who aim at the entire suppression of gambling, and who do not approve of racing at all."