Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, NOVEMB. 17, 1917. THE BOOKMAKER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1753, 17 November 1917, Page 2

Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, NOVEMB. 17, 1917. THE BOOKMAKER.

THE recent notorious gambling cases heard at Wellington Supremo Court disclose the operations of the bookie. In almost every community —Foxton not excepted —agents of bookmakers operate, and considerable sums of money change hands. Of course, such acts arc illegal, but it is very difficult to obtain information that would lead to a conviction. Last night’s Wellington Post, commenting on the gambling era/.c, points out that in a report presented to the last Racing Conference it was alleged that some of the leading bookmakers in the large centres openly employed fairly large staffs to deal with the immense amount of business actually thrust upon them, and it was recommended that the strongest action should be taken to put an end to the bookmaking evil. Replying recently in Parliament to a question as to whether steps would be taken to restrict the illegal operations of bookmakers plying their calling in Wellington, the Minister stated that the police had instructions to suppress illegal betting, but he confessed that considerable difficulty existed in obtaining evidence to convict “those persons who are believed to be operating as bookmakers.” As a climax to this astonishing state of affairs, there are the revelations made in open Court of transactions with bookmakers, and the deplorable admission that a departmental wire between Trentham and Wellington was used to expedite the business. We have no illusions on gambling. The desire “for a flutter,” the hazard to gain “something for nothing,” is too deep-seated to eradicate, and the public conscience is not sufficiently advanced to bring about the total suppression of the mania. But it can, and should, be controlled and restricted, particularly ip these times of national stress. One of the first and most urgent duties of the authorities is to see, as far as is humanly practicable, that the law governing bookmakers is brought into operation.