TOTALISATOR AND BOOKMAKER.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 May 1926, Page 4

TOTALISATOR AND BOOKMAKER.

1 - ■ t .1 FIX; E DIRECTS A JURY. . DUNEDIN, May 7. . In his address to a jury in the [ Supremo Court at the conclusion of the , hearing of a charge against Walter . Goodman, of being a bookmaker. Mr Jusiee Sim said that in considering their verdict jurymen must put on on; side any opinion they might have regarding legislation dealing with bookmaking. 'I hey might consider it a piece of hypocrisy to pass the- Act of 1920, in view of the fact that the State itself had a large betting machine, the totalizator, from which it derived a I huge income every year, or they might I think also that the Act had been passed, ! not so much for the purpose of hene- ! liting the community by reducing the I amount of betting, bu simply for the I purpose of effecting the - monopoly I which tho totalisator was said to < njoy in betting, and which, as a matter of fact, everybody knew it did enjoy, j SOMEWHAT HYPOCRITICAL.' It was somewhat hypocritical that the I Legislature said to the people of the I Dominion, “You may bet as long as I von please, as long as you bet through the totalisator of which the State, has a part, hut if one of you dare to make ! a bet, even to the extent of half a 1 crown, with a bookmaker, you are liable ’ to a tine of £IOO, or to imprisonment for six months.”

! As he had said, continued His Honour, they might have their own views on this legislation, but they must hot let that influence them. They must take the law as they found it. Walter Goodman was convicted of bookmaking and fined £2O. The Judge said he 'did not consider the accused intended seriously to carry on the business of bookmaking on the date of the offence, but was collecting money from simpletons.