ANTI-GAMBLING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1857, 11 September 1906, Page 3

ANTI-GAMBLING.

PREMIER SAYS COUNTRY MUST LEGISLATE. PRESS ASSOCIATION

Wellingion, last night.

A large anti-gambling deputation, ino'uding the Mayor of Wellington, representatives of Parliament, clergymen, and business people, waited upon the Premier this morning, under the anspioes of the Wellington Council of Churches. The propositions put forward wete: (1) The 5 abolition of tbe totalisator on the grounds j£ytt it gives State sanotion and respectability to a yioe, and has enormously Invcreased the area of gambling; (2) the isolation of raoeoourses from telegraphio and telepbonio communication, wbioh will «end to reetriot gambling to the aotual raoeoourees ; and (3) rendering illegal the ’ publication of betting news and results in tbe daily pape.-s. It was explained that Ibe desire was to prevent the publication of racing tips and the amount of dividends, not tbe description of reoes. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said that he recognised tbo gravity of tho extent to which tbe gambling evil had grown, and was certain tbo oountry would have to legislate wilh a view to its suppression. had been brought under his noiico that Iwomillions sterling had been sent out of New Zealand last year for gambling. Something would have to be done to minipfise snob figures. At the some timp, he wanted to say that neither the post nor the telegraph office could legally do what was asked by - the deputation. He was persuaded in his own mind that an alteration in the law was required, and that the ' alteration should go iu the direotion of making it difficult, or next to impossible, for money to bo sent from outside places to a oentre where a race meeting was being held at) the time of the meeting. While those who wanted raoing had to bo conpidered, its evil effeots bed to be minimised. Street belting should be abolished altogether, and betting with young persons should be made a .criminal offence. The

question of the publication of dividends worth considering, and he w, i in favor of something of this kind. They proposed to stop Tattersall’s as far os possible, and hoped in a few weeks to prevent the oiroulation throughout the colony of Tattersall’s liter alure. The Premier remarked on the growth of gamb* , ling in private houses by bridge playing. ft was beoommg alarming, but something pu'ghi be accomplished if these people would exeroise self-abnegation. There s no doubt a very great canker in the community, and amongst people who should not lend themselves to this sort of thing.