PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2269, 1 October 1914, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

THE NAMING BILL,

DEBATED IN THE COUNCIL

SECOND READING CARRIED.

The Legislative Council met at 10 a.m. and passed tlio Imprest Supply Bill through all its stages. The Council tl\eu adjourned, and it resumed at 2.30 p.m. , The Hon. C. A. C. HARDY moved the second' reading of the _ Gaming Amendment Bill, which, lie said, would havo a good effect on the bookmaker problem. , The-Hon. C. H. MILLS heartily supported the Bill. The Hon. J. G. W. AITKEN-regret-ted that the'otlier Chamber had t passed tlio Bill, and said that he did. so, v not because he was against sport, or bccause ho wanted anyone to give up going to races. His reason was that the number of days now available could have been so distributed that the country districts (for whom an appeal was being made) would be catered for. He viewed' the Bill as a means of enabling men to find further' opportunities of becoming "involved." He knew young men who had been ruined through gambling on horse racing. The Hon. S. T. GEORGE supported the measure, and said that he proposed to move to eliminate from the principal Act tlie clause allowing only one totalisator permit for a meeting. His object was to allow clubs to instal double machines, and his reason was that this would combat the bookmaker, who lived largely on the proceeds of double betting. The Hon. J. DUTHIE, as one who occasionally went to. races, and occasionally put a sovereign on. a horse, stated that: he would vote against the Bill. He did not desire to see racing extended, and he declared that the morals of the population were going back. He quoted figures which he said showed that juvenile offences were increasing in number. The Council, he said, was being asked to extend the thing which, was sapping the whole moral tone of the country. The Hon. H. D. BELL said that the Bill was very much misunderstood. It was simply to grant thirty-one country districts permission to have a race meeting every year, and that could not have any bad effect on the juveniles of the country, and, could not increase gambling. The Hon. Mr. Aitken: Take the days off the metropolitan clubs. . The Hon. Mr. Bell said that he did not wish to be drawn into that aspect of the case, but he might mention that one could not take days from the city clubs without being faced with the difficulty of the impairment, of the efficiency of those bodies and the interference with the comfort and the pleasure of the public. (Hear, hear.) The-Hon. R. MOORE spoke in favour sf the Bill. ' The Hon. J.sT. PAUL regarded the Bill as the only way to remedy the

injustice whioh had been done to some country districts. He thought, also, that the Bill, by giving assistance, to1/unt clubs-, might bring about an im'provement in the breed of horses. The Hon. A. T. MAGINNITY said that if the Bill was going to benefitcountry districts.. it should have the support ,of the Chamber. . The Hon, J. .FISHER supported the 8i11,...and, said that it was .merely an act'of justice that, districts should have' the privilege which had been extended to other places. He agreed, too, with the idea of offering assistance to hunt- clubs. The Hon. G. JONES regarded the measure sis a . betting Bill, and said that the Chamber should not extend the operations of the totalisator. He felt, however, that they should give the country settlers their outing, and for that reason he was impelled to vote for the measure. The Hon. Mr. HARDY, replying, exnressed much pleasure with the reception the Bill had been given by the Council. He said that bookmakers existed in hundreds, and that they were even in the small country places. It had been said that the youth of New Zealand was worse than it used to bo; ho thought it better, and was sure it was brighter. He deplored ,th f e foot that members of the Council, such as the Hon. J. D. Ormond and tho Hon. Sir Geo. M'Lean, who were'owners of racehorses, bred sprinters. Horses which could not undertake a milo and •a half event should, be done away with. The Council divided on the motion for the second reading. The motion, was carried by 18 votes to 5. The lioea wore: Tho Hons. J.-G. W. Aitken, J. Duthie, W. Earnshaw, J. MacGregor, and Sir W. Hall-Jones. ANIMAL SANCTUARIES. ' The Animals' Protection Bill whs read a second time. . The Hon. H. D. BELL explained that the present law did not allow the Government to acquire land for sanctuaries. A "paradise" of 20,000 acres near tho Knipara lighthouse had been offered to tho Government for £1000, and, although it would be an ideal sanctuary, the Government found that they had not the power ,to buy it. It was such power that was sought in the Bill. A second power'was asked, and that was 1316 power to'let this kind of land. OTHER BILLS. The second reading of the Factories Act Amendment Bill was moved pro forma, and the Bill was referred to the Labour Bills Committee. The Medical Practitioners' Bill was read a second time. The Council rose at 4,6 p.m. THE HOUSE The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. Mr, L. M. ISITT (Christchurch North) gave notice to ask tho Prime Minister when ho proposed to introduce legislation validating certain contributions inadc by public bodies to tho Scott Memorial Fund.

THE LICENSING BILL. Consideration of - tho amendments made by the Legislative Council in tho Licensing Bill was deferred, at the request of Mr. L. M. Isitt, who wished to have further time to examine tho amendments. •