THE GAMING BILL

Hokitika Guardian, 7 October 1930, Page 7

THE GAMING BILL

(Sporting and Dramatic News.) * '* . ; :) KILLING THE BILL. : . • l The ■ absurdity of ’ parliamentary .prociidUreUwits pointedly demonstrated the:;Ganung Ahiendinent Bill was out.” - This simple proposed 6hactlneht .[■yyias introduced as a ' ‘•‘prl-'l-tite'.-! igniter's Bill,” and necessarily ' Had togive precedence to Government llieisures prbut before? leaving, for the ' lihipenttir/Confercnco' the Prime Minis- ■ uter gave the. House, an assurance that ,tjie ! Bill/would be. given “a fair run.” ;It ! duly -came forward ! for its second rfeading,;‘arid after being debated for .three hours, up to 10.30 p.m., when according?? to Standing Orders, the Housed adjourned, and consequently, as was.-jslilll being ‘‘spoken to’’, and no taken,; the Bill is “killed”- so far ? 'is this .session,is concerned, unless the GdVerhiherit agrees to it again being placed bji the Order Paper for further .dUicußsidn.;; : ...... 1 . .■? ..j.'-f NOT A FAIR EON. -This .eventually now seems : to - ,be most , unlikely, as the - -Actihg-Priihe, Ministery- stated, after the House -ad- ■ journed,;- that- it would depend upon . remaining business, to be ddne ifiis session permitted the re-ap-pearance' of .the Bill. He further re-, rharked that,?ifi Ids opinion, ; ft had the fair run it 1 was : promised. This opinion will b* absolutely denied by those favourable -to the provisions nf the Bill; •till, in such matter* even Parliament dannot demand that it shall come again before’ the House and have a chance of added. to the Statute Book. If ;is; fidt 'disposed to give ' ensure a vote being taken oii{jtHis hveiry simple!; measure! it • has no hope ofi another >‘ftirihg” this session, other ' words the Government has “thrownit overboard.” RUTHLESSLY SLAUGHTERED. affair's that aSuchyfar^ ruthlessly I '. ihitordeclirethemselvedpnsuch-.ques-betting “and other social problems, because such, questions: arouse keen coniroversy • the constituencies, and .patliamentariana'i are" anxious to be'“all tilings to all voters” when election prospects are uppermost in their minds: Qlndeed, in this instance, I have no doubt, not a few members are pleased was talked -out without them having to cast a vote one way or the other:*:? 1 : /. v ? \ ' BACKING REFORM. the House* “dodged” this BilPoii Account of “pressure - of Goyeimment ; and 1 it consequently?did?»ot have an “airing.” Now

it may be regarded as one of the “slaughtered innocents” for this session, and as next session will be the last of the present Parliament before another general election, there is no prospect of any amendment to our obsolete, ineffective and foolish gaming laws, which will remain a .stumbling .block to Reform for some considerable time to come. This must lie most disheartening to every sportsman in the Dominion and to many thousands of other reasonably-minded people who may not themselves he ardent followers of racing, but who see how the spirit .of our gaming laws is flouted and illicit gambling is rampant throughout the land because betting is not sanely controlled.

TIMID PAUL LAM ENTA RIANS

One certainly cannot respect our par-

liamntarians who deliberately shirk duty by honestly endeavouring to redress? wrongs and bring about reforms that comuionsense demands. The Government itself cannot escape censure for its. feeble attitude towards the important issues involved hv amend ing our existing Gaming Act. Everyone will admit that the present Administration has no easy row to lioe in endeavouring to side-step contentious question; but as the proposed aniend- ; ; mehts : - cannot be regarded 1 ' from?, any 'policy point of view so far as Party Is concerned, the Government might reasonably have expected to allow the Gaming Amendment Bill to run the- full course. SLUMP IN TOTALISATOR INVESTMENTS. This aspect of the question Is oil the more regrettable because everyone knows, who has the intelligence to .understand and is not hopelessly prejudiced, that to have legalised the telegraphing of bets to'the- racing clubs .would strike a very severe blow to illicit, betting through outlawed bookmakers, besides raising considerable revenue to relieve the national exchequer as VtGel las provide much needed funds to the racing and trotting clubs tlie present difficult times. Government has poulticed the rap- * community,very severely; so much indeed, that totalisator investments <Pive shown a great slump since the :’%tra.. totalisator tax was : imposed. To ma)ie: leeway on this serious loss to Government; and the clubs jtHe; legalising of telegrahic bets to the recourse would undoubtedly have improved matters. 1 i (To be continued.) '