GAMING BILL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4771, 3 November 1924, Page 3

GAMING BILL.

A BRIGHT CONTRIBUTION. The “Otago Witness” has the following in its report on the discussion on the Gaming Bill: As the evening progressed the debate began to assume a lighter Vein. Frequent attempts were made to draw the Minister of Internal Affairs, who was in charge of the Bill, but silence is Mr Bollard’s strong suit, and he listened to a good deal of good humoured raillery directed his way quite unperturbed. Mr H. Poland (Ohinemuri) made one of the brightest contributions to the talk after Mr R. A. Wright had quoted a speech ne had made years ago against street betting and Tote odds.” He never made a practice, he said, in looking bask on the speeches of the past, either his own or other peoples. He let the dead past bury its dead. He recognised that as. the years went on a man who was at all worth while gradually enlarged his viens, revised his outlook, got both virtues and vices in a better perspective, and did his best with the work that lay at his hand to-day. In 1907, when he had made the speech now laid to his charge, there were more i.ace meetings in the country than there were to-day, and the population was a third smaller. In those days theie were bookmakers, if Mr Wright had quoted him correctly, but now there were none, no “tote odds, ’ no illicit gambling, nothing improper, in fact, to offend the sensitive eyes of the police or of successive Ministers of Justice And with light banter of this description the House kept itself entertained until the breakfast adjournment at 8 a.m. It resumed at 9.30 a.m. and talked to little purpose till 1 p.m. when it adjourned for luncheon. to begin at 2.30 P.m. another Parliamentary day.