THE BETTING QUESTION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2053, 3 December 1907, Page 2

THE BETTING QUESTION.

POSTAL PRECAUTIONS. THE ‘ BOOKIES” OUTFLANKED. Special to Times. . WELLINGTON, Dec. 2.. There was some street' betting here in connection with the Feilding races, bint the “tote” shops that formerly carried on a thriving business were closed. The authorities, however, intend to put down this practice with a firm hand. In regard to letters and telegrams addressed to named boxes at the Tost Office, it is pointed out that under the Post Office Act of -1900 if (the Postmaster-General has- at any. time ' reasonable grounds to suppose any person to be engaged -in receiving any money or valuable thing as the consideration for any assurance to pay or give any money' on any event or contingency relating to any horse races,- he may by notification ■ in the Gazette order that no postal - packet addressed to any such person (either by liis own or any. fictitious or assumed name) or to any address without a name, shall , be. either registered, forwarded, or delivered by tlie Post Office. - Until such order is revoked' no such postal packet shall be registered,- for- • warded, or delivered, nor slialL any money order be issued in such, person’s favor or be paid to him. The definition of postal packet is . “a letter, postcard, letter card, newspaper, book, packet, pattern or sample packet or parcel? N.Z. parcel, foreign parcel, and every other packet or article transmissable bv post.” With regard to the position at Feilding. the Post states that “the club stewards certainly do not knov mucli about bookm aidng •if " they think that a bookmaker can pay £2O a day, to which must be added. ■ the clerk’s wages, admission expenses. sav a total of £25 a day. Bookmakers arc not like the tote—ithey do not always win. Sometimes meeting after meeting takes place without any profit being shown? The racing club’s’view can be epitomised thus: To provide the racing public with facilities money has been largely spent upon the course. This money has been lent by the banks upon securities of a Joint and several bond executed by the stewards, who. in their turn, look to the fotaljsitor revenue to protect them. This source of income is threatened by the incursion of the bookmakers, lienee the decision of the club to use every legal means to avoid compliance with clause 35. .It looks very much as if, after all, the bookmakers, despite their clever maiibeuv- ' ring before the Gaining - Bill mas ■passed, have been outflanked, and that the right to bet is after all a-two-edged sword.”