WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 December 1923, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

ADMINISTRATION OF GAMING ACT. [Special To The Guardian.] WiII.KINGTON. Dee. 3. The “Evening Post” waxes eloquent in its denunciation of the action of -Mr W\ vei n Wilson, the stipendiary magistrate at Christchurch, in lotting off with a fine of ‘-'All a mao who pleaded guilty to three ell urges of illicit helling." “The contrast beiweeti the scandalous laxity of the juries and the strietne.**s nt the magistrates, i-s says, •■has usually been so marked in tins class of case- that the substitution' of the Magistrate's Court a> the tribunal for trying them would doubtless give the law a much better chance and make it a terror to the evil-doer instead of a farce, lint the decision of the Christchurch Magistrate may to some extent

-hake the public confidence in ibis .solution. The defendant in this case appears to have done what no bookmaker who is well advised ever thinks of doing if a jury is to try him. lie pleaded guilty of having entered into bets with a. constable on tile result of the races, and was lined kid on each ol the three counts." Mr Wilson not only imposed a monetary payment, which the “l’osl deems totally inadequate, in place oi imprisonment, but also allowed the eulijnt i hive months in which to pay the TOI’SV-TniW 11KASOXIXO. The • Post'’ has oven iess patience with the magistrate's reasoning than it has with his decision, “lie makes no attempt to blink the gravity of the evil. He appreciates its notoriety and wide prevalence, hut he actually treats (lies.- points and the small number of prosecutions as the grounds for a light sentence. ?o topsy-turvy a process is difficult to comprehend or to believe.” Another critic who lias been at least as active as ihe “Post” lias been in attempting lo bring about a rigid enforcement of the law. regards the magistrate’s explanation of bis leniency as being perfectly sane and logical. “It seems to be a matter of common knowledge, and no one seems to think it should stop.” .Mr Wilson bad snfd referring to the prevalence of betting.

"Very few eases in Court are directed towards the suppression of tin* bookmaker. When a man is brought up on sin-h an infrequent charge, and it is his first offence, I do not think it is a case for imprisonment.” This altitude the authority differing from the “Post” considers fully justified. If the public, the police and the Department u! Jiistice are utterly indifferent about the whole business, lie holds, ii is not for a magistrate to wreak his wrath upon one of the least of the offenders. Til F Til I! MM PARTI ES.

sponsible for the reiteration of some thread-ban* platitudes concerning the three party system. 'Taking Mr Nosworthy’s suggestion that the liberal Party should ex liuguish itself as its texi. it reminds I lie Minister of Agriculture i lint to bring about the end he desires, saerilue. would have io he made on both side '. •Instead of sug-

gesting tin absorption or extinction of one party,” it says. **a genuine effort should i*e math* to (list-over and remove the personal ami political harriers to union of the two parlies. In essentials Reformers and Liberals are in agreement. They differ only upon minor questions of policy, and even upon ihose mino* i ne~ G.* n- is no u..jl d* lined division between them. Party prejudice may prevent these' difference.? from being reasonably examined ; hut lids is no time for parly prejudice. Nor is it. a time for the resuscitation of personal aniagoui-nis. The welfare el tin* country i- more important than i In* fort lines of a peli! ieal party or the career of a party leader.” All this of course sounds very admirable ; hid, according to the l.ilieral stalwarts, it rests largely on urn* or two assumption-. which are not justified by fai t'. TIIF RFA L POSITION. The idea that there is no real difference between the policies ami aspirations u| the Reformers and the Liberals in the llouse of I’epresiilal ives. these people say. is being assiduously cultivated hy Labour and Reform for tile Treasury Hunches. The purpose of Labour Party in striving to bring about a. 111. ion between tin* IWo older parties, they maintain, is to secure for ilself lhe position of the Official Opposition and to aflra.'-i to it- own rank- some of the inure progressive members of the Liberal Party. This is the only path hv which Labour can make its way lo the Treasury Benches. The pttrpost of the Reform Part is io resuscitate us own sadly depleted forces in Parliament and so restore I In* prestige it eujnved two nr three years ago. Neither <*' the parties so anxious to extinguish i’.c Liberals really believes that there ;s no difference, or only a very slight, eitfvtvneo, between I lie policy of Rehum and the policy of Liberalism. I hey bn.tb know perfectly well that ib*' <'■!- fen-nee between them in regard to parliamentary represental ion and hind settlement are fundamental and that on half ;t dozen oilier questions there is no aoprnnch lo agreement. Mr Massey and Mr Holland, tlie ok! brigtvnd declares, are simply throwing dust; in ihe eves of the electors.