THE BOOKMAKER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 865, 14 July 1910, Page 3

THE BOOKMAKER.

MR NEWMAN’S BILL SHELVED. Wellington, June 13. At the evening sitting of the House of Representatives Mr Newman (Manawatuj moved the second reading of the Gaming Amendment and Bookmakers Abolition Bill. He said he was not opposed to horse-racing, but would like to see clean sport. He referred to the opinions of Mr Justice Chapman on the legalised bookmaker and said that bookmaking was flourishing now more than ever, and the postal service was being utilised for the dissemination of betting cards throughout the country. The proposal to give Magistrates the power to license bookmakers would not cure the evil.

Sir Joseph Ward, in a lengthy speech, said the proposals in connection with the bookmaking evil should come from the Government, and the Government had promised a Bill to amend the Gaming Act. Therefore Mr Newman should know there was no chance of his Bill going through both Houses, and the people of the country should have the chance of dealing with the question. As to the use of the Post Office for the transmission of betting, there was no law permitting postal officials to open letters from bookmakers to clients. Personally he would vote both against the totalisator and bookmakers. If bookmakers were abolished and the totalisator remained, the result would be a further sample of gambling. He suggested that the debate be adjourned and that the House should wait for the Government’s Bill.

Mr Massey said the Bill ought to be agreed to unanimously, and congratulated Mr Newman on the excellent speech he had delivered and the interest he had shown in getting his facts together. He did not see why the Government should claim the monopoly of legislation. Private members ought to be encouraged to bring in Bills. The clause in last year’s Bill giving legal status to bookmakers was a disgrace to Parliament. He would vote agaiust the bookmakers every time, whether bracketed with the totalisator or not.

Mr Reed (Bay of Islands), said he wished to deal with the bookmaker and the totalisator at the same time. He moved the adjournment of the debate. The debate was coutiuned and the amendment was carried at i a.m. by 37 votes to 26. The division list was as follows: Ayes, 37. Arnold, Brown, Buddo, Buxton, Carrol, Clark, Colvin, Craigie, Davey, Dillon, EH, Field, Forbes, Glover, Graham, Greenslade, Hall, Hogg, Hanan, Hogan, Jennings, Eawry, Macdonald, M’Earen, Millar, Myers, Ngata, Poland, Poole, Reed, Ross, Seddon, Smith, Stallworthy, E. H. Taylor, J. C. Thomson, Ward, Wilford. .«Noes, 26.—Anderson, Buick, Buchanan, Dive, J. Duncan, Fisher, Fraser, Guthrie, Hardy Herdman, Herries, Bang, Duke, Malcolm, Mander, Massey, NewInan, Nosworthy, Okey, Phillipps, Poole, Russell, Steward, G.M. Thomson, Witty, Wright. A formal motion was carried that the debate be resumed in four weeks’ time, and the House rose.