GAMING BILL.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2583, 4 October 1915, Page 6

GAMING BILL.

V « , RACING DAYS MADE) UP. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL . DISCUSSION.

The Legislative Council ' met'at. 11 a.m. on Saturday. \ The" Destitute Persons Amendment Bill was read a second time. ' The Coal' Mines Amendment Bill was read a sccohd time, put through Committee without amendment, read a third timo and' passed, . The Gaming Amendment Bill was fur-: ilier, considered in committee. The Hon. . Sir Francis Bell moved the following n<iw clause:—. . "If in the year commencing oil August 1/1914, or' in any subsequent year, any racing club, by reason, of the use or occupation of its - land or buildings, or any part thereof, for military purposes,- has held a fewer, number of race meetings'than'in the year ended July 31, 1914, the Minister of Internal Affairs, notwithstanding anything contained in the Gaming Amendment Act, J 910, and notwithstanding that the aggregate/'huinber of days mentioned in subsection:two of 1 Section 5 of the: said Act may. thereby be. exceeded, may, in any subsequent■year'or'years, on the application of the club, in additipn to licenses for a number of days in each year not fewer than the number of days on .which 1 the club was authorised to use the totalisator in the year ended July, 31, ,1914,' issue to the club licenses to use.the' totalisator for a, number of days equal in the aggregate to '••the number of days which would havo been included in the. race meetings which the club has been prevented for the reason aforesaid from holding." , .• Sir Francis Bell assured the Council 'that 1 'the ■ clause only-' provided for allowing the Minister to grant'in a subsequent year the licenses for tho days which a-club 1 lost by reason of its grounds being occupied' for military purposes during the current year. The number of licenses could not be exceeded except bj\ tho number which 260 was diminished in . the previous year. The increased number need not' necessarily be graiited in tho next succeeding year. The new racing year had already started, and if two days were lost last year they could-be ,added to existing meetings either this year or any succeeding year, so .that it would not be'-necessary to hold an additional meeting. 'Tie' Hon/ o.' Samuel said that it was '.- blessing that the buildings at Trentham had been available during the epidemic. . members' views 'were, they must agree that days Jost should be made up to the racing club, but hot one extra day should be given.' He thought, the clause safeguarded that. , The Hou. T. Mac Gibbon thought the .clause was . a mere act -of justice to the Wellington -Racing Club. _ They owed tho club a) ver y considerable' amount beyond . atmere act of justice. He intended,'; hoiwever, to vote against the Bill,*as.a whole. The Hon. J. ;Barr said that if the''club - wanted 'a return .for what they had done, let the Government pay .tliem c'ompen'satipn, take over -the whole of the. racing club's property, and attach it to the permanent camp at Trantliam. The request should he thrown out altogether, for it was not a matter of justice. ; ft was about the most disgraceful thing; that had come before the country in connection with any body of men that, had something. The .position-.of'the: racing club was tlfat they gave 'something and expected a reward. - He moved as an amendment that? all the, words up tor'and including "August"' I 'iii the- first lino_ slioiild be struck out, and called a division. The amendment was. negatived by 17 votes to 3, those voting for the amend-ment-being the Hons. <J. Barr, J. T. Paul, and l J. G. W. Aitken. Tho Hon. Sir Francis Bell moved the following proviso to the clause: v'Provided that so soon as the racing club shall have so received permits for as many days in .excess of its ordinary number as it had previously lost, no further permits in excess of its ordinary number shall be issued to such club under the authorityof this Act." He said that the . Wellington Racing Club had never attempted to make any bargain in connection with its offer. The clause applied to every club, and the Government had to consider clubs all over the'country. Tho clause as amended was passed, and the following new clause was added:— -

"For, the, purpose of computing the periods- referred to in ...Subsection 4. of Section'."*), of' tli'e Gaming 'Amendment Act, 1910,'- Sunday shall not in any case he taken into account and Monday snail in every case be deemed to be consecutive .to Saturday." A division' was called oil the third reading, and the Bill was passed by 16 votes to 3. The division was as follows Ayes (16): The Hons. Bell, Baillie, George, Jones, Carncross, Beelian. Earnshaw, .Moore,:., Buchanan, Hardy, Morgan, Simpson, Mills, 'Wigiam, Samuel, Bowen. '. Noes (8): The Hons. 'Aitken, Paul, Barr, Mac Gibbon, MacGregor, Fisher, Hall-Jones,* Carson. The Council 'rose at 0.25 p.m. till 8 p.m. to-day. ■