THE BOOKMAKER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 867, 13 July 1910, Page 8

THE BOOKMAKER.

WAVE OF HOSTILE OPINION. PRESBYTERY'S RESOLUTION. Tho bookmakers' rather precarious pedestal received another jolt at. tho meeting of the Wellington Presbytery yesterday, when the following resolution was unanimously adopted:—"That this Presbytery expresses its approval of the effort now being made so to amend the law .'relating to gaming that the licensing; of bookmakers shall ■be made ilk-gal, and that the Presbytery be' rojjreso:ii<*l on the deputation about.to wain on the Prime Minister wifcli reference, to the: r.itno."

'i'ho committee.of the Citizens' AnttGamlding league .met vesterday. Reports or resalutiona .iii'. 1 support of tho proposed deputation to the Prime Minister were reteivoJ.. ■;.Auckland aii-nouni.-iKI its-readiness to send a special contingent- of- business men with' the deputation. ;G;iristchureh sent resolution:;' ranted at various .public meetings- anil", nominated • members.'for the deputation. Organisation in twenty other centres was. reported ■ as being well forward. ..'Local interest was manifested iii various communications, a'ud a record 'deputation.. is>. anticipated- to interview Sir . Joseph ...Valid.., on Monday next,.at noon', in'■ front of the Parliamentary Buildings (old . Governor's, residence). Speaker's were appointed to deal with the subject. "Special gratification was expressed, at the unanimity of the |~n ewspaper press touching, tho gambling question.; It was also agreed to urge (in addition to the repeal of the, licensing, clause in the. Gaming Act ..of 15)07), the strengthening'of the powers .of .the''police, so that .the elimination of the bookmaker may be complete..

A; PUBLIC MEETING.

. (By Telegraph:—Press. Association.) Wanganul, July 12. '. A public..meeting;.tiiis evening carried the following resolution:' That, in the opinion ;pf this .meeting,; the spine of gambling,. witli t its ..attendant evils (so .prevalent throughout .'■ tho .Dominion), calls' for. legislative' restrictions, and, with, that object in. view, .-the meeting: strongly; urges upon the-Gov-ernment'tho necessity .of altering''the; present .Act.\iu the direction; of repealing., the,. -provision made .for licensing bookmakers. .'. ';.:...

A CHRISTCHTJRCH MOTION.

■' ' ,' Christchurch,:. July 12. / Gambling was .one of: the subjects discussed at the meeting of the Church Presbytery, this .morning., ■ The Rev.. C. Murray moved: "That this; presbytery is - strongly- of opinion that the .Government., erred .-.in legalising the position, of the bookmaker—a ■measure .whereby -increased facilities for. ; gambling...have been- provided by thei State, end have'been increasingly taken, advantage of to the moral deta..ripratiohj of the people. ■ In view of the, above, .the, presbytery.'..-.strongly urges' '-trio early, repeal of. -the •• law establishing the .bookmakers' 'calling, and calls the Prime Minister's attention to tho fact-that the General Assembly of ■the. jChurbh.j has" expressed its■ .opinion ■in'favour of the abolition of.the totalisator." '■. ...'■■...-. ' ' ~' . '."■'.

Mr. Murray, in speaking to'his,motion, . emphasised the evil influence of gambling on the community, and es-pecially-on young people. The Moderator (Dr. Erwin) said that his opinion was that tho' totalisator was responsible for the large increase in the gambling' spirit in New Zealand. When he camo to New Zealand it was "bad form?'; jfpivladies to gamble, but now ladies, without tho 'slightest hesitatioiT;..'-put>:-their investments on the.totalisatb'r'.. The.'machine had apparently, made- gambling a respectable thing. Ho was further of opinion that'the totalisator was responsible for tho spread of racing. Tlie metropolitan clubs could support themselves, .and have a. good programme irrespective of the totalisator, but a number of small racing cliibs could not exist without it. When all' had been said about the bookmaker that could be said, .it still .remained;'that the thing' that vyas .spreading,as a'cancer in the community was gambling. There had been.the blunder of legalising tho bookmaker, and now t\vo forms of betting .were rampant on .every racecourse. The motion was carried'.'.'.'