THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF SPIELERS ACT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 654, 3 November 1909, Page 6

THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF SPIELERS ACT.

...The annual report of tho\Commissionor of Pohco presented to Parliament yestorday contains sbveral items of interest to :the general public. For instance, drunkonness, .as. judged by the number of persons prosecuted during the past year for this offence, shows a slight increase. Prosecutions of hotelkecpcrs show a material falling off and the conduct of Hotels generally is well spoken' of. ;Thc record of seriOUB crimes, ■nowover, is.a bo ; d one, being a'marked increase a3 Comnared with tho previous year. In this respect it is interesting :to note.' CpiisiissiONEE Dinnie's views on the \ Gaming Act ot, 1807, which, though doscribed as intended to minimise the gambling evil, 'has not only failed in its purpose, put has let loose on the public a further evil of'a very serious kind.: Under tho Act referred to; the Government ware unwise enough to legalise the calling of a bookmaker; . Not only this; but they forced the racjing clubs to admit'all bbokmakors, regardless of -pharabter, to -their racecourses,- to carry on ■ gainbling on payment of a prescribed fee. Tho dangers attached to this stop' woro,'' pointed, out at the time, but unfortunately tho bookmakers appear to have had' sympathisers, in the Cabinet, and tho clauco in the Act was forced through by a very narrow majority. Tho , comments.of thtPolice Cqmmisaibrior ontlio working of this clause of tho Act are illuminating. After pointing, out. that, tho ; numbcr of convictions for breaohes of tho, Gaming Act.increased during tho year from 1<12 , .t0 184 ho continues.as follows:—>• ;■■■,.;' :

Tho provisions ,of , the Gaming Act' as regards, betting-houses, .street bottingj restrictions on betting;telegrams,-betting ■advertisements, and use of the .tothlisatpr aro eminently satisfactory s but having'; regard to' the'licensing of bookmakers and.,ti\o : indiscriminate action of racing authorities in issuing bettjng licenses to all applicants in a position to pay tho noccssary fee, irrespective altogether, of character, or .fitness; to hold.a license, tho result has been quite contrary to that intended. Bookmakers and their,'followers have . seriously . increased,' tho majority of .them •being, quite vinifit, both pecuniarily and otherwise, to hold licenses. :""■■'

Me. Dinnie a\lds'Hh'at;if bookmakers: are. to' be licensed..to -bot. at . raooTinectings, a provision which.from a long and varied experience of* borseTracing; he. cannot support; tho law ; should provide that -.;..they must^first."secure a. : ccttificato of- .fitness from ; a\ magistrate,:,. acting 'on;. a'; report from the : police. _Tho opinion of the Commissiorier of Police as to ;the'harmful jeffeets; which' have arisen .'out of the: fiction of' tlie-Government,,in, giving bookmakers' a logal status will b'o endorsed by alj who have: paid any .■attention to , the subject. i'lt hae not.only, assisted; the -reputable bookmaker, who; .probably: has gained least; by..it, but it haa.proyiqed attractive.has it made this.'douhtry totho criminal''class thatpth'er.e.'.httsibcbn" 1 an. .influx qf;'undcsif^)os!ir'oia'^u^traj&v. l wjio;.':;uij:] dor shelter I 'of its 'protecting ' influtnee, have. made :'.>var agaiiist tho.; la,w ; -abiding citiiwn,,and i ',swellds-tho':;criminal records. The police: frequently.-are aware of'the arrival of undesirable immigrants, and bqfore,.;tho; legal shelter! of bopkmaking'wab provided could restrict i -th^ir. pperatioiiii by' forcing them 'to show, that" they;had. visible > lawful means of supportl failuro to demonstrate; which meant; a ) torm,of imprisonment.", .Now those people: hayo' only tp follow the occupation of bookmakers to secure a logal standing in tjio.comniunity.■:. ■' This statomentpf "the.-pqaitipa , is borne but by C'pitjiissiONEn: Dinnie's .expressed, conclusions 'relating to; tho,'increase in the number of-criminal offences dnr'ing:.l9Oß.:'-:,:. ,-,'., :- l :- : ' '"'■'j. .The. increase (12G)in the number of burglary, cases and theft (228) ',has~ resulted \partly through the influx to tho Dominion, of an unusual number of Australian criminals, and I ascribe :this in a degree to, tho licensing of bookmakers and.the indiscriminate,' granting,of betting licenses' by. racing authorities, which has induced a number of Australian umlosiriibles tft ;bccome. bookmakers, who, • with thsir when uot.engaged in bookmaking resort to crime- ',: : ,: .■ , ■." . ■ ■■■

Tho racing: cliibs have.no option in the matter ; of issuing , licenses to, bookmakers, and are not in any' Avay to blame for tho fact that- undesirables obtain thorn, ■ The dubs arc .simply .carrying_out: ( thoylaw forced, on them' against their, 'wishes'. ■7 It is probable that tho majority of bers of the, Cabinet now realise 'that : .a' mistake;was made ;in, giving bookmlikers: a legal, status; -but MesSks Uarroll j' t and Millar, who: may "lj'3'regarded £is.chaiiipions of the.bbokmaking.J'rawriiity, 1 ! are a powerful influence; and niny.'te abjio.to prevent anything being done to repea;j the objectionable clause, which has won for t(hc measure the designation ''The. ' Encouragement.of Spielers Act." f■■ :■ ~'■