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Hokitika Guardian, 30 July 1923, Page 2

IIKCT.NTI.Y Mr Witty asked the Post-master-General whether lie would repeal the regulations which prevent persons telegraphing investments to racecourses on race days. The Hon. J. G. Coates replied as follows: “The statement that the Department loses a large amount of revenue by the prohibition is quite correct, but the Gaming Act is responsible for the prohibition. Section 28 of the Gaming Act, 1908, makes it illegal for any officer of a racing club to act on a telegraphed request to invest money on a totalisator. Section 2!) prohibits the delivery on a raceeouise of any telegram relating to

investment. It would bo necessary, therefore, to amend the Gaming Act before telegraphic investments could tie accepted at racecourses. In the event of the Gaming Act being amended in that direction, consider..tion will lie given to the question of amending the regulations to permit, of the opening of telegraph offices at racecourses, and the transmission of telegrams thereto.’’ It would appear from the foregoing that the Postmaster-General realises the position very accurately. The prohibition referred to means a serious loss of revenue to the Department. Also, the fact that the prohibition exists helps the bookmaker to thrive greatly—though his ealing is quite illegal. By refusing the request which has bis-n made over and over again, Government is losing considerable revenue, and at the same time encouraging a. breaker of the law by those who are making the profit which should be going to the State.

Tilt: striking progress that has been made in the institution of humanitarian methods in the prisons of the Dominion was evidenced by many facts introduced in an address given at Wellington by the Controller-General ol Prisons, Mr C. E. Matthews. “Punishment. was the watchword of the old system,” said Mr Matthews, “and men with long of even moderate so'.i----j terices were seldom out of sight < r ] hearing of the warders during t..e I whole of the working d iv. After work was over they were locked lip ili their cells at live o’clock until seven o’clock next morning. Books wore supplied from a. prison library consisting of nooks which bad been sent in to prisoners bv their friends, and afterwards conli-cuted l,v the J risen authorities.’' As a contrast to this Mr Matthews presented a picture of a modern prison farm settlement, where individual prisoners and even poriles ot prisoners were constantly working quite beyond sight and hearing of warders or guards. As an illustration of the confidence it was possible to repose in the better class of prisoners, lie cited a recent incident at a road-making camp naar Wainnirino. Some of the working bullocks strayed. Two prisoners volunteered to find them and finally succeeded, after being away two nights in the bush without shelter. On another eversion recently a breakdown at a I ream sawmill caused delay in getting out t' e timber orders. Several ol the men employed there were much con* ,oed at this, and asked to he allowed to start- at 4 a.m. to repair the damage. They started at that time and worked on until 10 p.m.’, that night of their own volition so as to get they plant ready for sawing timber the next day. Mr .Matthews stated that the time for lighting cells had been extended from 8 to 9 o'clock, the libraries had been improved, and a system iutroducod enabling men to read or study according to their tastes, or to employ themselves otherwise in the evening hours. Evening schools had been opened in all the larger prisons and reformatories, and an endeavour was mode to trout the prisoners as sentient beings who, though they had erred were yet akin to their fellowcreatures in their feelings, aspirations and desires.