ANTI-GAMBLING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 647, 26 October 1909, Page 5

ANTI-GAMBLING.

DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER. TOTALISATOR AND BOOKMAKERS. PREMIER FAVOURS REFERENDUM. I A numerous deputation, organised by tin Citizens' Anti-Gambling Loaguo, and including representatives of the clergy, members of Parliament,, and ptominent business" pcpplo, was introduced to tho Prinio Minister -(Sir Josoph Ward) by Mr. EU, M.P.i yesterday. Views of Rev. J. J. North. . Tho Rev; J. J. North sthted that, since the - legislation of 1007, thoro had been very marked • moTca in other couiitrits: towards the restriction of gambling.'/' Also & rosult of tho recent legislation,. there. had been groat gain: '. hero, especially from tlwso clausos which pre-! ■ vented the publication of betting news in tho*. Sress. Much more-could'have bedn-offcctod. ; tho various provisions of tho Act had been*strictly enforced. ; For "instance, !it had been-' provided, that premises, in. regard to which.-' there was a reasonable suspicion that it was) a , gambling place; should- bo placarded. In ■ this connection thpy:. were sorry; that on .in* stitution, had arisen -in' the very centre of tho > city,.w,hiclrwas rccogniscd on the rendezvous' ; of tho gambling community—where, it; was un- j •; dorstood: they,- settled: their accounts and die- !-■ : cussod future fixtures. '. Further, there, was a >■; total nbsonoo from tho New Zealand Act of any restrictive clauso in respect of the possible' number 'of. race. days,: in.' Australiathe raco days were limited lu, accordance with ; the ! population. Hero tho only restriction on the. multiplication' of • race days ' was .thov wishw of the Racing Conference. 'That wan . in his opinion, a rotten reed fori any states. ;■ man otpublio .body to, lwfc oti.;! . (Hoar, hoarV ' . I ncrcaso of Race Meetings. . - ~ It- must' not bo forgo'tfen that/the Racing Coil- a : fercnco was composed of disorganised elements, ropresenting widely! different'-'strainsof feeling:.! Although it had agreed to disqualify, jockeys ! who rodo. at proprietary meetings, yet tho . , namo of one of its members .appeared on tho share list of the: Miramar concern which wa« tho biggest of, tho kind ill .Now Zealand, Thnv Racing Conference had, ho alleged, always flouted tho Government. , It' issued 152 totalisator permits ■ for 232 .days to S3, clubs; but thero,-wore 157 otheritclubsviji' oicoss; of .thosn which the Government considered sufficient. According to tho presont ratio thero would bo C 8 meetings within. coo-oo of ; Wellington, whero f before,;there .were .only .eight. Ai the, pro-' - prietary, clubs were in tho': initial; 6tago -, thpy could bo easily suppressed,without much loss being ; suffered, 'Tno ' baloncc-sheot of - ono of tho pony - nieetings' .at Miramar ' was /Kime:.'!.-' what as'follow:—Stakes;,J!l2s;: receipts,'JE47D; profitsifor■ tho.'afternoon, -K)SJ;/and there.;.was'-!-;•' no proper control of tho racing. In-conchi- ' sion, Mr, North emphasised the desire of the ■ : deputation to prevent tho multiplication of race days and. to cxtirpato ponj .clubs, i • • .. - • > Mr. Atkinson and. the Prime Minister's . Colleagues, , ,- , : Mr. A. R. : Atkinson, considcrpd that the Bill ', of 1908 would havo'been.an iffltuenso improve- 1 ' mont- on' the measnrorpassed in, tho following : ■ S' ear, , Tho liccnsißß"'Of ibookniakers was 'So- • .- ling moro than-a public scandal. ' (Hear, hoar.),,'lt was evident-that the .totalisator had , not had the intended effect—the abolition of the : bookmaker! - Sir stated' tthat tho amendments - had been allowed in - order to Bave thei Bill. . That would not appeal ' to-those who'were guided by reason. He was "... unable-to' see that tho bookmaking fraternity in itself had sufficient power, to lmve tho clausoin. question . carried .against' tho racing ,clubs, • and those who' word; opposed.-to gambling. . A large, numbe?. of perspns had had their faith in tho Government shaken owing to tho fact that - two Ministers had--attended".tho.oponing cere- : mony at Tattcrsalls., - ■ i ';. ■: Voice: It, was :a - disgrace. i Sir Joseph: I don't, know whether you have come We to reflect on my foUcasues. If so, I should havo boon advised. -I thought. you had como to dealwith important-matters con-,--hected with' racing. f ■ -• . ' i ' Other spoakors included Mr. 1 J, G. W. Aitkcn and tho Eevtß. H. Gray.----'*' l -''- » wmV.PWMEIMINISTER -IN REPLY. i The Prime Minister,-in reply, stated that to clear, tho. ground ho would: like to point. out • that anparently.-Mr. Atkinson did not-under-stand tho.position at. tho time when tho recent legislation /iras undor consideration, otherwise : : ho would hot havo made certain remarks. When :: tlio Anti-Gambling Bill was introduced it con-: tained some'of. tlio 'drastio' proposals - ever * fubmittcd to any. Parliament in the .world-'-For-instance,'it proposed to stop .advertisements m nowepapers ro totalisator ■ odds, street bctting> : and "toto" shops. 'lie, for one,.know that unless the Bill confined tno whole of tho gambling to racecourses it would not-pot -.through,u as there was a; strong party in-tno Houso in favour of ;the contlnuanco -of the totalisator, and others who held that;-tho bookmakers, should ■ be placed on tho same' footing; as- tho machine. ;;''- Then, again, ! it, the-Bill-to stop.tho transmitting of .betting, wires' and the parriage of them: to. the-1 acccourß.es.;,: Instead,Of; giving thd Gpveriinient some encouragement:for , what. they ' had. already. ; dono,; Air.. Atkinson ■; ■had -suggested that ! he, and others were • not \,v, satisfiedi- ..Ho. (Sir Joseplij fclt thnt'very im-; ; ' portant retems had aiid, ho'alsttV - | felt-that , tho existing stato of things could bo , I further improved.' Tho way,to secure further - | improvements,. however; was not 'to find fault' with-', earnest' endcavouf-.-ro-. that' end.'-'-^ Race Days/Should' Be Limited, : > ,V, r Tho. increase in raco;? meetings ought, he -.-j t thought,' to be .stopped, and ho was prepared ... to assist 1 to :liui)t:vthe: - number-of race days, lit would'.'bo-of information'to-hiin to know •; I what was tho difference: between tho pony and : tho galloway. nieetings. -0 A voice s They are . praotically one and : tho , same, thing. ■ ''.f-.".'v; 's.'* v; '■ " Sir- Joseph-went on. to. say that.he thought.. ' i such -meetings should be stopped. (Iledr,' hoar,) ; The Racing Conference.had no-offioial standing;.;.iso far as the law of the country- was eon- | corned, but it'was'allowcd'to allocato tne total- .i [ iisator•permits:''. Ifthero.-.were-157- other, racing', days (A voice: clubs.) legislation ought to be enacted to put'a stop to them; Ho would recom- '.■ mend'his oolleogucs to legislation with--., I a view: to 'renderfng ,it l impossible! for thq' in-,-// crease of meetings in the .Suburbs' .(whether; .at'; .;'■ i Miramar. or . tho ■ Hutt). which-■ . wewi ; apparently held for, tho 1 purpose of; profit-find . not '.tub- .legitimately.; for; spirt.:To .sport I on" f ; proper lines,"he had' nonobjection; : but .whore ,; , it was doing injury (as it must' lie, doing if . 68 meetings were; now. being held ■ within; a v . stone's throw of AVellington,'. as against fisht' ; I proviouslvl it sucgesled ; a condition of affairs which ought to be stopped.'; - f.' How to Settle tho Ouestion. . In connection with tho tbtalisator and the bookmaker: -lie '-was- quite vpreparod-phe - was . speaking for himself~vo' recommend.'that tb's voice of the.' people..-; should be taken on. • both. Prior to the - passing,-,; of : -tho. recent legislation it was perfcotly well known , all over the :. c6untry;- that: tnero ■were ■ two sections; of,..'the ;community .who 1 usually opposed: ono rclergy 'and the bookmakors—both asking; for-the abolition . • of tho totalisator. Now> when tho bookmakers,. : who were subject to tho control of, tno. racing.... ■ clubs, were allowed to carry, out tholr work on tho racecohrso. only, the - reverse was tho position—tho supporters oi the totalisator: were opposed to the bookmnkors, aud the, clergy np- , posed to the . bookmakers. . A voice: To boih. 1 "It looks to me," oontinucd Sir Joseph, ,as if tho voico of tho pooplo. ought to bo token. ; , (Hear, hear.) In this country , thero should bo reasonable and proper legislation to admit,, of legitimate sport. But Tvhoro they had (as was the case) those who were responsible for the-racing ■ Rystem; advocating the abolition of, : . tho'bookmakers and tho retention of the to. ■ talisator, then tlio. easiest way I* to allow tho; people to voto on tlio question nnd bo guided by tho people." - ,-V- - .; Mr. Aitken: Is it your intention to give national option or local optionP - Another deputationist: J3aro majority f Sir Josoph: You ought to lmvo attended tho -. • deputation which waited on .ino on Saturday. , (Laughter) At the conclusion of tho proceedings Mv. Ell , said that ho wished; on. behalf of thoso pre- i.. ; . sent, to thank Sir Joseph for the; straiclitfonrard and manly way m which ho had, dealt with what was undoubtedly a difficult , j problem. . (Applause.),! ; V -;; : .-