WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 July 1920, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

GAMBLING AMENDMENT. THROUGH COMMITTEE. (Our Special Correspondent). WELLINGTON, July 23. The Gaining Act Amendment Bili, popularly know as the Bookmaker Extinction Bill, got through Committee in the House of Representatives on Wednesday night with less damage than was feared by'its friends. The only important amendment effected in the measure was the deletion of the word “suinmai'y” from clause 2, thus giving the accused person the right of trial by jury. A minor amendment made it dear that the line of £IOO for betting with a bookmaker was the maximum penalty for this offence, and that any smaller penalty might be inflicted, and another provided that guilty knowledge must exist to make tile issue of bookmakers’ cards or circulars punishable. A proposal to legalise the double totalise,tor was rejected by 42 to 22. a proposal to permit the publication of totniisator dividends by 36 .to 28, and a proposal that no totalisator permit should lie issued or roncwel after the coming into operation of the Bill by 55 to 6. THE BILL SAFE. The Bill still lias to pass through the ordeal of a third reading in the (Hcfise and to make its way through the Council, but it is pretty certain to reach the Statute Book without any further material amendment. Had the Minister and his colleagues stood firmly on the point, the amendment giving accused persons the right of trial by jury would •not have been carried, but many of their friends were favourable to the concession, and it is not expected to weaken the measure to the extent Mr Downie Stewart has predicted. The Bill is likely to have an easy passage through the Council. The Hon. Oliver i Samuel, a very prominent figure at the Racing Conference, is one of the most capable and influential members of the revising Chamber, and he and .Sir Francis Bell, the leader of the Council, may be trusted to see the “fiords” do theirduty. STATE BANK. The motion for the second reading of Witolds perennial State Bank Bill in the House of Representatives yesterday gave the Prime Minister an opportunity to make an interesting statement in regard to the Bank of New Zealand. Mr Masey is not favourably disposed towards the institution of a, State Bank, nor towards the extension of the functions of the Post Office Savings Bank, but lie recognises to the full the excellent work being done by the Bank of New Zealand for both the sountry and the private shareholders. Mr Veiteli, Mr Lysnar, and Mr Luke and several of the Labour members during the course of his statement attempted to draw Mr Massey by well directed interjections into an admission that it would be a good thing for the Dominion to have all * the profits made by the Bank, instead of only a part of them, but the Minister was' too wary for his friends, and though he admitted the State had “acted wisely and properly in coming to the rescue of the Bank of New Zealand’ ’ he would go no further in the direction they desired. CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS. Another interesting statement made by the Prime Minister yesterday, this time outside the House, and to a deputation of private persons, had to do with the position of conscientious objectors still undergoing terms of imprisonment for failing to render military service during the war. The deputation, which was introduced by Mr H. E. Holland, was representative of all the industrial and political organisations of Labour, and wanted the conscientious objectors released forthwith. They declared that the harsh treatment of these men in New Zealand was unexampled in any oilier part of the Empire. Not only should they be released from imprisonment, the spokesmen of the deputation contended, but they also should have atl their civil rights restored. Mr Massey would subscribe to neither of these contentions. Most of the men still detained had been guilt-y of other offences than refusing to assist fn the defence of the country, and those that had served their sentences and been released, had little claim to consideration.