TOTALISATOR PERMITS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 302, 17 September 1919, Page 6

TOTALISATOR PERMITS

RESOLUTION OF COUNCIL OF CHURCHES.. Bj TcksrnDli—Pross, Asioolatlon. Christcliurch, September 16, At a meeting of tho Council of tin Churches it was resolved that Government bo urged to release all conscientious objectors, whether the grounds for detention bo religious or otherwise; also that kindred bodies be! communicated with, urging the organisation of resistance to any attempt to enlarge gambling facilities by increasing tho number of totalisator permits, hostiility to telegraph betting on tho totalisator. and the introduction of double belting, and "to support every movement toieliminate book* makers. ■ •

STATEMENT BY HON. G. W, RUS- • SELL. • By Telegraph—Ptobb Association, Christchurch, IC. •With lefcrence to remiirks of the Rev. J. ,T. North at a meeting of tho Council of Churches last night, !in regard to tha use, of tho totalizator at ithe recent trotting meeting iu honour df Admiral Jcllicoe. the Hon. G. W. Russell, ex-Minis-ter of Internal Affairs, :to-day made tho ; following statouaent:—"Mr. North is not i correct iu his allegations. The law has not been flouted as alleged: everything done was strictly according to tho law. (1) Only 6ix months' permits have ken nllocatod and issued; not those for tho whole year. (2) Two crabs, Murchison and Tapanui, have surrendered their per- \ mits for tho year, and .those have not * been allocated; consequently on both grounds a permit was available for the Jellicoo meeting. (3) Before leaving office I indicated to raciurj people that I was not prepared this-session to bring down legislation either to increase tho number Of permits or legaliso the double totalisalor. I may add that it is a Minister's duty to administer tho law. Thero being no legal objection to tho meeting reforred to. I had no reopn in the law for refusing the permit, ,and would not have been justified in .toing so on personal grounds." .'.' :

REV. J. J. NORTH WITHDRAWS HIS. COMMENT.

By Teleer&Dh.— Prpsi Auocl&tlon. IS. ' Having seen Mr. Kussfcll's. statement regarding the Jellicoo Trotting Meeting, the Row J. J. North to-night said that for public reasons he was now glad to learn from Mr. Russell that tho permit •for tho. Jelliooe .Trotting Meeting was legal, and he withdrew upreserVrdly his comments on the affair, and admitted that Mr. Russell's action was legally correct. Mr. North said that if Mr. Russell had stated, when tho permit was issued, that the Government had a surplus of permits on hand,' no criticism could have been uttered.