THE NUMBER OF RACE DAYS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1471, 20 June 1912, Page 4

THE NUMBER OF RACE DAYS.

4 — - MEMO MOM ANTI-GAMBLTXG LEAGUES. Tho following is a copy of a memo: tent •' -V to the Hon. G, AV. I'ussell, Minister for Internal Affairs Sir,—The anti-gautbling leagues of (his land view with much] apprehension tho attempts that are being made by constant , ■]. deputations to-secure an increase in tho ''. number of the race days sanctioned for y this Dominion. Tho slight reduction offecictl by the recent Act by no means' v met the urgency of tho claim for reform. Gambling in this land is assuming ..]■.' such large proportions that it threatens ' tho commercial stability as well as the.. ;;' moral integrity of the people, :Tho rnun try suffers not only from a licensed totalisator, but also from an unlicensed/]: and (in the present condition of legisla- 'v? tion) an irrepressible horde of nook-• makers. Our condition both as regards ";i the number of raco meetings and Iho ' means for gambling compares very un« favourably with that existing in eithot ß Victoria or New South 'Wales. Ihero. are. we assure you, in this land great f. numbers of people who regavel the garnbl- <r ing evil am? the existing legislation i*<v garding it with the utmost apprehension.':-; We do not express any opinion ns to th« justico of the division by tho recent Commission of the permits among exist- • ing clubs, nor do wo express any hostility to a rearrangement of permits on ... (he 'basis' of the' present nuuiber of Taco <. days, but we assure yon that any proposal to increase, by however small a. v number, tho race days allowed by the :,H last Act, will be met by nn Agitation ond !«- n storm of protest that will be ieh - throughout this land. Wo cannot believo- . I hat anv such retrograde step will be suggested by iho Ministry or tolerated.byg;.:\ the Legislature. * For tho. Auti-gatnbling league-of- New p? 'Zealand,''' v : JOHN fi. AT. AITKEN, President. U : ' J... J; NORTH, Secretary. :>']].'