HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 33, 9 February 1933, Page 13

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House of Representatives met at _30 p.m. to-day. .'■-■' - ?..Mr.;W. E. Barnard. (Labour, Napier) asked* the; Minister of Financfe whether it was correct that wool brokers were icollaborating to force down wool prices; 'if it were correct, what steps would be ; itaken to .prevent the benefit arising : from theexchangebeing -filched from -growers. ■: , . - - j; The' Minister of Finance (the Right -Hon. J. G.;Coates) said inquiries had been made, and there was no reason to believe that wool prices had been prejudiced as-suggested. Presumably, tthe reference to brokers was intended to'refer to buyers. There was, no evi;'dence of collusion among competitive buyers;: -y '.■-.>'■ ■'"■ The Statute Revisions Committee recommended that the Gaming Amendment Bill benot proceeded with. ''-_. -- The Chairman bf the Committee, Mr. 3V". J. Broadfoot, said that theevidence adduced showed that betting was rampant, and ,tha:t the present law 'was tending .to force it underground. It was claimed that the licensing of bookmakers would bring in half a million pounds to the Government- - ,»f. He thought that experience had shown that since Parliament had: legislated- in 1912* for eliminating the wiring of money to-the totalisator and prohibiting , the., publication of. dividends, the law as far as betting was concefh- ". Ed, had been flagrantly x broken. He thought: that the evidence which had been given would' show that there was i'ndeedacaneerous growth in the social ifabric..,''The time has arrived7 when ' WeVshould -take the gloves off and face up to. the. situation." The" existing facilities of the "totalisator should be ;•■ usedfor the wiring of money,, the publication of dividends should be 'permitted, and the double totalisator should :£>e allowed. The most practical way to;~* eliminate the bookmaker was to _irect gambling and to cater: for the Small silver bettor by the establishment •6f a-State lottery. ■ : •<.'• Mr. Broadfoot suggested' that the ■ *ime. Was-ripe when Cabinet should take action in.the matter. , ' T V v' (Proceeding^) . '