GAMING BILL

Hokitika Guardian, 18 October 1933, Page 2

GAMING BILL

PROSPECTS FOR SUCCESS. There is reason to believe that at least two of the three (proposals contained in Air E. F. Healy’s Gaming Amendment Bill will be passed by Parliament this session. The three amendments provide, for the telegraphing of bets t-o the 'totalisator, the establishment of a double totalisator. and the publication of dividends. Only in the case of giving permission to telegraph bets is there reason for doubt. :

The Government has 'promised to permit the Bill to be discussed during tho session, but has not yet agreed to take it up itself. However, sufficient support lias been promised in the House of Representatives to put the measure through, with the exception of the clause permitting . bets to be telegraphed. From some quarters there is likely to be strong opposition to this principle, but Mr Healy and other members who a,re strongly in favour of the Bill believe that the whole measure will pass. The attitude of the New Zealand Racing Conference and the New Zealand Trotting Conference towards the measure was put before the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, the Minister of Finance (the Rt. Hon J. G. Coates), and the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. J. A. Young), last week, when the presidents of the two organisations (Messrs J. S. McLeod and H. F. Nicoll) asked the Government to assist by granting facilities for the passng of the mea- j sure. It is understood that the Ministers wer-a impressed with the case made out .and that they are< now con. j sidering a suggestion, that- the Bill should be taken up as a Government measure.