GAMING BILL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 263, 31 July 1920, Page 8

GAMING BILL

DEFINITION OF "BOOKMAKER" AMENDED DOME TOTALISATOR PROPOSAL WITHDRAWN Consideration of the Gaining Amendment Bill in Committee was 'resumed by the Legislative Council yesterday. Leave- was given tho Hon. E. W. Alison to withdraw his proposal that tho double totalisator- should again be legalised. ''.-'"'" The. Hon. £' H. Izard moved an ■• amendment to require that every investment upon the totalisator be made in cash, He proposed that cheques should not. be accepted for investment on the '■machine. The amendment was designed '.'■■ to protect'investors from the temptation to tender cheques representing money that they could not afford to lose. The amendment was lost on the casting vote of the Chairman (Hon. 0. Samuel). The ayes were: Colonel Smith, Major Harris, Messrs. Aitken, Scott, Grimmond, Fleming, Jones, Gow, Cohen, Fisher, Izard, Hawke, Earnshaw, MacGibbon, and Macgregor (15). The noes were: Sir John Sinclair,' Sir William Hall-Jones, Sir Francis Bell, Sir William Eraser, Sir Walter' Buoh.Enan, Messrs. Mitchelson, Hardy, Triggs, Alison, Pntuki, Tukiuo, Clarke, Louisson, and Moore, and Colonel Collins (15). - Sir Francis Bell said that he bad been ' asked to propose an' amended definition of the word, "bookmaker" in the existing Act. .The present definition was as follows: "Any person who acts- or carries on business as'a bookmaker or'turf commission agent; or who gains, or endeavours to gain his livelihood wholly or partly by betting or,making wagers." 'In order to get: at the "amateur 'bookmaker" lie proposed the addition of tho following words: "Or who in any,-man-, jier holds himself out or permits himself to bo held out as a person with whom wagers or bets may bo made; or .who offers to wager on any particular event or class' of events with more than ■one person.". ..V The' Hon. C. H. Izard indicated that he had some criticism to offer regarding the. new definition. He was sure, however, that he would later have an oppor< tunity of stating his views; nnd he would ■therefore refrain from, opposing the .alteration in the meantime, Sir Francis Bell: I think we may.predict a disagreement between the two Houses/upon amendments made by the Council, The amendment was carried. •' The Bill was reported with amendments, was, read a third time, and passed. • ■

•:,: -CRIMINAL APPEAR ■ A THIRD APPEARANCE. The Minister of Justice (Mr. Lee) moved the second-reading of the Crimes Amendment .Bill, which proposes to give . the. rights of;-appeal against sentences, ,„..wi grouiid- of -undue severity, to persons ".convicted of "crimes.. It also extends tho 'authority of the Prisons Board ..to covor parsons undergoing' long-term sentences. mt. Lee said'tliat the Jkiise had passed "similar 'provisions for criminal appeal ,in two other sessions, but the Bills hid. "failed to pass in another place. • -Mr. T.-M. Wilford (Hutt) . reminded the House that he had got,.a. similar ; .Bill, through the-House, without a division in nn earlier session, but the measure had disappeared, under remarkable conditions in the Upper House. Now the Tipper House had passed the; Bill and sent it'to the.House- for its ecu-' eurrence. ' • • ; Tlie Bill was read a second time niter 1 . brief discussion. short"of?ement .... A TARANAKI GRIEVANCE. " • Complaint about the shortage . of eement i» Taranaki was made in the House of Representatives yesterday by Mr. S. G. Smith. He said that the Board of Trade was allocating cement '.from -the Auckland works to East Coast towns, but not nearly sufficient for urgent works in Taraiaki. was being.provided. The cement was most urgently needed for houses. The conditions under which some families were living in Taranaki was deplorable, and on this ground-lie would ask the Minister to ■• treat the.matter.as one of urgency. The if mister-in Charge of the Board of Trade (Mr. Lee) said he would have inquiries made into r the complaint, and inform the honourable member of (ho Mr.R. Masters asked about tlie output from tho Milburn works in Otago, expressing the opinion that this cement was not being distributed fairly. Ho understood that the output of these works was as big as that from 1 Golden Bay, and while the Milburn supply was being reserved- for Otugo and Southland, the rest of New Zealand had to rely on Golden Bay and the Auckland works. He believed that the acnte shortage in Taranaki and other parts of ] New Zealand could bo relieved if the ] Milburn output were more fairly dis- i tribute). Mr. Lee said that he would have this ' matter investigated, but ho could not admit that the distribution of cement was; -inequitable. Taranaki was short of cement like other parts of New Zealand.

RABBIT POISON point of interest to tho rabbit infilled parts of Now Zealand was mentioned in the Ilouse yesterday by Mr. ]itr'ii»tt (Tcmukn). He said that the r«):j>il poison in general use in New '/.r-,-.,«A for nifinv years past had been phosph'orised pollard, but it was the opinion of most of the settlers _ using umi 'poij">n that it was losing its efficacy. He asked that tho Agricultural )">. kltuW make some investigations with a view of discovering some .Aiemt nmjpn for dealing;.' with/the. nest. ; ""Til" Minister of-Airricnltifre (Mr,; Nosworthy) fifiid I'hnt .I he question had nlreadv been considered by the Department. Soni" time ago ho hnd issued ir.strwiinn* tn tho Deuartroent to have experiment* made with, a view of (lisiwiriug whether any more satisfactory ©otnod oonld be discovored for poisoning rabbits,