The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette Published Daily. FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 1897. GAMBLING.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 282, 4 June 1897, Page 2

The Feilding Star, Oroua & Kiwitea Counties Gazette Published Daily. FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 1897. GAMBLING.

Therk is a decided intention in the minds of the Judges and Magistrates in England and her colonies to put a material check on the gambling spirit whicli is so much in evidence at the present time. A regular crusade has been started in New South Wales, Victoria, and New Zealand, as well as in England, against the bookmakers, and now in Sydney the Magistrates have shown a fixed determination to crush out of existence the " tote " shops. A contemporary informs vs — This resolution is probably due to a discussion which took place in the Assembly a few days ago, when some very strong things were said concerning the prevalence of " tote " shops and their influence in Sydney. It seemed to be agreed that the law as it stood wa3 sufficient for the purpose of suppressing the betting shops, but its administration was spoken of as being unsatisfactory in the highest degree. Amongst other things it was stated that a number of the police were in the pay of the shops, and that one of the men thus retained had, on leaving the police force, enough money to establish three shops on his own ac count. It was also alleged that two of six Stipendiary Magistrates, who were nainod, had borrowed money from the proprietors of one of the " tote " shops. 'J he member who specially mentioned these things expressly stated that he had no objection to legitimate beating ; it was the " tote " shops, their methods and evil effects that he objected to. Some of his characterisations were assuredly forceful enough. " Every. black sheep und blackleg in Sydney," he said, " who has nothing else to do now runs one of these shops. These men are far worse than the burglars who break into one's house " " A greater lot of scoundrels." he continued, " than the men who run these shows does not exist. All that they care about is the getting in of the money ; it does not matter to them whether they get it from men, women or children" ; in fact " the blackguards aud scoundre'B who run these 'tote' shops can be seen all day long about the streets enticing even women and children to invest threepences and sixpences on the ' totes. 1 " According to the cable message published the other day, the Magistrates of Sydney have determined to put a stop to this state of things.