THE NEW GAMING ACT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 56, 29 November 1907, Page 6

THE NEW GAMING ACT.

: ■POSITION. AT FEILDING. ;' (BY TBtiBGBAriI—SFZCIATj COItIiESI'ONDENT.) :• '•■■' : ' Fellding, November 28. To-day was an interesting day for the Foildiilg Jockey' Club "Committee. A number of bookmakers had arriyed from the north and south to carry qii business at jthe meeting, and ■ naturally. wanted to know under What conditions thojr were to work. Consequently the. committee''met in the afternoon, arid, after deliberating for two hours, arrived at tho following conditions, which did not meet with gonprnl approbation from the, bookmakers. ,It whs"decided that n fco of £20 bo charged, for each day of the races, and that the bookmakersi be'confined to portions., of the..ground .'to : lie , selected by the committee in the saddling paddock,, out of view bf.'.the'.tofialisatof, kntf iii'the 'outside paddock, also out of .view of the totalisatpr. Other conditions . no bookmalcers' clerks be admitted "to ■ thid racecourse; that no shall bo', allowed upon the lawn.pr grandstand';'thati no bookmaker sliall bet , on any race .later ..than ; five minutes before the advertised .tinio for starting such' that ".any committing a breach 'of > these coridi&'bhs,' f or.' of the Gaining and''L'o't'teribs;"'Act. "shall be liable to have his- license 'cancelled,' and in' ' the event therebj'. ho shall not be entitled'to a refund of. any'portion of his' liceiiso fee, and in addition thereto .shall'be 'liable';to' bo pelled/; from ; the rhcecpurso',' '*' ; ' '.A ''gooil denl" of' dispussibiiV. tqPk place during tlieV.'fram'ing" of 'th'e.'conditioiis. Race; course-'detec'tiy'e .;;' Walfliii'' ''was 'in atV tendance, '■ and "' suggbst'ed, ." a .lower. fe"e"':'of '._ £10 "inside''.■;'(he ' saddling paddock; 'and £5 iii the people's' enclosure: He'also'suggested-Hint, irrespective of pnst career, all .bookmakers,'.''be!'giyjc'n ? license, and then, if they did riot , comply' with the rules;-, tlic"' Club should 'c.'aneql', same for all timid: ',Th'is suggestion .met''With' the Club's approval! ■' '"'". ' '"''!'' : - The secretary ..reported'.' , ttii>t r twenty-five applieiitions -were '.received. ; ftorn 1 all over New Zealand/'' These would ■'prpbribly be M;ithdr'awn.: " ' ' . '..■' • ' .''!' -.'..' ' '■ 'Mi;; George • Campbell,'Aiipkland, considers the ''conditions, far' , top stringent..' There is a'/pdssib'ility *of makiiig' a; Hving'under such conditions, but; only -V:poor:sne,v and,' taking it' onA'ih'e'.; year's' tratisattions', ' if all the epuritry meetings charged a'■■sirfiilar' fee, the result would riot bis"'■g'ra't'ifying 'for the bookmakers. '■"'..•. .': ■' " ; ' '•' : : .V. J ' '"'.''' ■'. A'meeting "of , bookmakers' takes place in the morning to decide on : a'!poursi; of action. Up "'till- yosterday-'af tef noon tho I3ookmakers'ha'd receiyed no rejilX'fr o ™ e Feildint; Jockey Ciub'wi.th/reference '-to their applications' for. 'licenses : . to carry on business at tho Club's meeting which commences today. Under' tho bookmakers' rules , no reply moans' ho' business, , ' but' sftera| of' the local poncillers loft for th^'scenfc! 1 ' of-.action yesterday afternoon,, convinced'th'at' they would have 'to.-'be' licensed;':'.lt is'il'prefty evident tha't.;,thc:,clubs' are■ going,' to ..insist on the mKjnftiunv,;fee .and .this, together with tlie! uncertainty..that, exists as tpwhetHer'chibs have;a right' to demand a fep 'from.clerks, was"' causing the fielders grave anxiety." . ;';,-:' '■'';■■'■•"■ v '■ " ATTITUDE' OF THE AUCKLiVND RACING ■■■-: ■ -•■-■-. ;'CLUB.|;t" ; .".' !'■ ! ''"'[BT'IBLEGRArH;—TRESS ABSpCIATION.] '-".'V- '.'! ■""■■'■■'' Aiickiand,' Jfpvcmber 28. .The Auckland Racing Ciub.'Kas,not yet ar T rived, at. jiny.d.ecision ■iji.i.'thei.inatter of the cliarge'.to bo,'made.'for. the licensing of: book-, makers-under -the. .Gaming,.. Act".■ '.(Tlic intention' is, if possible, that-the'.various metropolitan should 'd,enl with the matter in some uniform way ; , that the chargd for licenses; should .be- throughout the Dominion,!,;<\nd that the same restrictions should, ; apply.': Tjiore-will probably bo' a nipotiriE of, .metropolitan.club representatives at Feildiiric' to-mofrow,-- , at which Sir George Cljft;ord will .bo. present,' and- proposals will be submitted', to make one .charge- for bookmakers' liconsos, and- ; .tp bookmakers to.-, ft certain part of the racecourse as is done in" Victoria. The Auckland Club is 'strongly opposed 'to ibookmakers'boinc given a 'roving oonimission tp.iply their calling on any part of the cburse,-,.'; ■ MANAWATF RACING CLUB. ■'■""-.' November 28. Tho Manawatu Racing Club has decided' to admit'bookmakers!,to its summer meeting, ph conditions' to'be decided'later. : •GASLIGHT,' SPORTS AT AUCKLAND. : (BY' ' CORRESPONDENT.) .C ' :'■.'■■ '!■'.'. '.. ' :i.AiioHl.and,' : Ndvomber'2B.''. % , The.first tangible' effect of. jthe.'iiow Gaming Act/^so.far.as ; "Aiicl;land''is''concerned, wafe experienced . on. Tuesday night. iii, connection with' the,, Auckland. Aihletic"plub's gaslight sports; in,KhybpriPassi j .\''Diseorisolate bookmakers, .who Have hithorto'-beon permitted tp,;ply r their calling uiim!6las't«lH)y the. law, :Were, to, be sepn Gcattcrcd: 'about not seeking for' the sporting hot, -arid rfcfu'sing many, a prblferod. ; -coiii!!. Tha . frnterrtitjr,'' it appears; !worff,aware',that they , would ;not bo allowdd £hp".'otlSi any more at"theso gatherings': r :';/I'hey-Vhad.. telegrapheil." to' the 'Premier. !to, : , ascertain' whpthe.r.i'.o'r';. i)6t' tlie new- Act ,was ( in .force, and had. ai roplj; in: the '.iffirma■tiye..'. ;Nb!.'\Yon.dpr,'!th'en, tha't'p.ne well-known bookmaker','l.who' was'.;!,Tre!l I .'] pe'storcd. by! a wp'uld : be, '"bettor, ', finally, -tiirhea .up'bir his tormentp'r'wit'h V,wr,athTulf'''l.'d6n , t'Wa'nt your mb'f{ey.pL tell think' I'm a j'mugj".;,,',' Pe.fectiy.es . Hpllis , ; --and-'MacMaho:i 'w.tiro', on the. ground' early ]': arid'! gave warning !to'!tho proprietors' , that,.no' bpttm'g would bo ialjowed, - and: /.that, if 'anyone' '"brdtfo'.' the'' law would, liay.o"to! tdke-'the .conse-. ! quencqs. outward'" appearances, the'rpI'proV.tliorcKwas 'no 'bottiiig:';- Certainly'■ tho bpokmakbrs , abstained;fro"m !tho • and 'whatever money changed hands in hots' passid ■; ! : T-he,tguar'dia'n's ; of -the law ■ woro, JiowcycV, • at. faiilt in one respect. , " Thoy !'had,'no);;s,eeri a/copy .pf, Elio Act,"' and did 'not !lcuow 'whether.' .s.w'eepstak'ds'-iwcre prohibited iuhder its provision's.-', : Consequently'.both 6n-lo'okors-'and runnbiiSviricr'easedHhcir interests iiii.the various'events;:by'this"means. Alany :nwoops were'' openly -mncleVup' : amongst" the ; f.ormor, ~Witlv..regard' to""thb, : competitors "a inaugurated;VThis was ex- ■ plained; in.j a ; placard',-which set ■ forth that ! in' : consequence of ' tho "conning ■ into- force of tlie. 'Act at o'nce.'the, Clul)''had" 'decided to inaugurate, a' ! system of class heat's, and , niririfjrs "werp; givea'tKe"' option of' selecting their own class,.. -These' were' divided' into : iivq' asVfonows:---Nb.' I;'£s;'No.'2,.'£3; No. .4, £l ; -,'-N6. 'S; 10s; ;.:-No. v 6,, os.' Runners i classifying,-,wero V permitted' i-to^.' run for the 'stake 7 0n1y.'..;, Thus a' coriipetitpr who' ctiriside'red! himself able -to , -"wiri'/a 'heat might enter in "say Glass ■ I,' which' would' cost him ,£o. .The four other, competi|ors'in his. heat .wpuld pay .the .same .amount, thus forming a sweep! The•' winner , ' of the' heat. , would take the £25i. The , same,with r the'other classes. Thbso riot, desirous of .'classifying enteral in tho '-'-no,, class",,'heats (a ' description"' which brought I down. good-riatured. ;, derision upon the;,'rnnriers sp,labelled)i : arid rah purely for tho stake given, to the' winner of. the final. The new arrangomcritsGemcd to add a zest r to the sport from the competitors' point- of view,,,,, They were.-.rijnnih'sj'. for' their own 'money,,, .and sonie remarkaßly good finishes resulted;' '• Tho attendarice- afr thp. meeting was rather loss numerous'th'an' usual.