MR. ELL ON GAMBLING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 925, 19 September 1910, Page 6

MR. ELL ON GAMBLING.

.•!.v' OUR' INCONS] STENT LAWS;V ; /,.' ■'Mr., H.. G/EH,' M;P.,';spoke at the, meeting iof;„the Wellington; Brotherhood in . the. .King's. Theatre, last' night .on "Our; State; Gambling,Machine;";,,There 'was' a fair/attendance of-.-the 'members of .the Brotherhood..' The' Rev. E. '0. -Blamires; .presided.'"' I.';-;■'.''■ [';';'■.': \\: : ],-.: -: .-,/• ■ ■''■'. ■;,;.. ';,;■ : Mr: , : E11": commented..upon.tho inconof ' the State in 'its present atti-' .tilde towards gambling; .The.legalisationof the-totalisator sanctioned'gambling and: made it a-sourco' of;public revenue. /.Jet-'-we had abolished raffles,;as ful. to/the people, and.'we did.no't allow, correspondence for ■'■ Tatter-sail's to' pass through;the Post: Office. We so opposed , gambling that trie; police ..were authoris-Ed to; force an 'entry; into: any'place: where, it ; was believed that/a; gahie;of ..chance 'was,being played for;moncy.; -Betting on cricket, and. football; grounds was illegal,. and: the.,totalisator, was;. not; allowedviii,' subh.-placc's.I;,'1 ;,' If 'gambling,,was ;'harmful' :under..other':; circ'unistarioes,;.was it.- not 1 harmf id ''also,'.' on - .the racecourse ? .'Ladies .were; as keen-:to gamble 1 as'men, and could; often .;be r :sce'n.-.at. -the totalisator, ,unesicbrted.,; The■ speaker; mentioned an,-iii-stnnce ,:.of three, ; otherwise : ; respectable women'.fightip.g: over'a totalisator; ticket, andcnnctingtlio sequel .in' a police court.' It ,was the. duty of: a Government- to protect - its.-Vypung-. people-from';.:tehip'tation; ii-Jreasbnable':, toV; search,V.Haining' Street': f 6j : garnblersj while wo: profited■'. to the.e'xteni'of.','JE3o,oop. a ye'ar',;by-the. State gariiblirig,,machine ?' i', Ho approved'.:; of ' horse-facing, ;'aiid. thought, it should be .ehcour'aged, b!ut';kept',free ;from':gambling'.' He'.recalled the time .when he .ha'd.biit, . 14. votes; to back; up his Bill; to abolish the. totalisator, but oh.th'e last occasibn,' the nurtibef 'had, : increased; to., riearly-.-iO;. ,Th'at,'Svas;evidence' of ; a .'salutary 'chaiige. in-public opinion.. Ilia referendum ,w-ere. granted, 'the . mass of ,the;:people,: : would, .vote!!to. '.stamp out:,this ; :eyu l 'which 'was ;sp;iinjurib'usly.;'affecting,: the: .home '.life;of, ; our;'/larid.': i: ,(A ; pplause.)'., .-'•".' '^'^■■\' : (\6'}, ■'~!; Questions\wer : e;, then'invited.'i/'ln reply/ to -'one,; Mr;,: Ell 'said, he ".'thought "the socalled, 'coiitist,,.-whioli' /was; being';- run; by. a heivspaper, was .sailing dangerously close 'to 'the -wWd'.'-../ :'■-:';■-;: '--;;;■ -'-'''■ .;Replying, to • other .questions,: Mr. : Ell said- that,-if .the. totalisator ; r :were abolished, 'the:, bookmaker-; would go, too, because mosti'pf A those\ who voted.- one .would --vote, against the other'also; He. had; liot/seen; the proposed;Bill to; limit : t]ie, number; of. racing days,: He, did, not thiiik ',;.that, r ';;if; the ■ totalisator ."ivri:". abolished,: .there would' be':; more.-street betting'than ; at present;: '-.; .',;'.;":.