WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 April 1920, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(Our Special Correspondent). THE BETTING RESTRICTIONS. j THEIR EFFECT. ! WELLINGTON, April 19. Though the general opinion among racing men is that the bookmakers will manage to get round the new restrictive betting regultaions, many people arc , encouraged by the large increase in the | totalisator investments at the AVelling- 1 ton Racing Club’s meeting last week to believe an effective blow bad been dealt at illicit gambling. The machine business at Trentliam on Thursday and Saturday showed an increase of £45,321 compared with that at the corresponding meeting Inst year, from £86,192 to £131,413, or rather more than 52 per . cent. It is not contended that the whole of this increase was due to the j bookmakers’ fear of the new regulations as the new electric totalisator was obviously responsible for a, very large part of it, but there are unmistakeable indications that a considerable sum which otherwise would have gone though the hands of the professional betters went direct to the machine. If this is the general result of the movement much good will have been achieved. j VALEDICTORY. j The farewells which various sections of the community offered to Sir James i Allen last week were of a very cordail and appreciative character. If Sir James has been the most criticised and the most vehemently denounced of the members of the Reform Government, he is now being the most eulogised. This, is not merely in deference to the familiar injunction “nil nisi bonum de mor- j tuis,” for Sir James is not dead yet a,nd during tbe next three or four years is likely to be very much alive in the interests of the Dominion. But the public are recognising on the eve of his departure that with a certain brusqueness of manner and faculty for saying biting things, lie has warm enthusiasm and high ideals. He will take to Lon- • don the goodwill, not only of his political friends, hut also of many of his political opponents, and that he will do good service in his new office there can be no doubt. - THE INCOMPLETE CABINET. The Leader of the Liberal Party is not a gentleman of many words, hut his comment upon the half reconstructed Cabinet appear to have made an impression even upon ATr Alasscy’s friends. “ The supposition that tbe Bruce defeat ought to react upon the Prime Afinister and the Cabinet,’’ the “Post’’ says, returning to the subject, “is quite reasonable. Tbe country’s interest, which ought -to be paramount, and tbe Cabinet’s, which ought to be secondary, both demand that the Government, which is already late upon the tide of Reconstruction, ..hould cm- j bark in complete complement without delay; tbe wind sits in the shoulder of the sail; but full advantage will not be taken of wind and tide unless the ! craft is fully manned and manned with her permanent crew.” This, of course, is a demand for the speedy appointment of Sir James Allen’s successor and for early information concerning other impending vacancies. LIBERAL AND LABOUR. The Hon. D. AV. S. AlncDonald is not to be drawn into a controversy with the notorious Rev. Howard Elliott in regard to the relations lietween the Lib- . oral and the Labour parties, but when seen this morning be stated lie knew nothing of a “compact”, or an “understanding” or anything elso of the kind that would limit in any way the individual freedom of the two parties. It was quite possible there would be many matters on which they would find themselves in unison when they met on the floor of the House, but this would not mean that they were conspiring together for the overthrow of the Government or that either of them was prepared to surrender its identity. There will (Tie more important thingß than party compacts to think of during the -'-naching session and he hoped to see all the parties giving them their earnest attention.