Poverty Bay Standard. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND SATURDAY MORNINGS. GISBORNE : THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1883.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1364, 4 October 1883, Page 2

Poverty Bay Standard. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND SATURDAY MORNINGS. GISBORNE : THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1883.

In another column will be found an article entitled “ Turf Frauds Exposed,” showing the nefarious operations of the promoters of some of the largest “ Consultations ” lately advertised. We have thought it our duty to give every publicity to these frauds, inasmuch as our sheet has unfortunately been made the innocent instrument whereby some of our readers may have been led to invest in these swindles. This expose forcibly points us to the fact that great necessity exists for legislation, in order to check in some way or other an evil which, in spite of Acts of Parliament for their suppression, are, year by year, assuming more grave proportions. It having been amply demonstrated that all measures hitherto taken for their suppression have most miserably failed, even in the slightest degree, in checking this evil, nothing now remains to be done but to turn our attention to some other plan which may reasonably be hoped to prove efficacious in at least checking, to some reasonable extent, this flagrant breach of law and justice. Mr Shaw’s Bill, which the House wisely threw’ out this session, was a futile measure, very w r ide of the mark against which it was directed. The wisest alternative to adopt, when it is found utterly impracticable to suppress an evil of this description, is to recognise it, and tolerate it under certain stringent regulations. If the people want sweeps let theip have consultations to their hearts’ content so long as they can be assured of their genuineness. The mere fact of such swindles, as those exposed in the article above alluded to, meeting with the large amount of support they do, is most conclusive proof of the large and irrepressible speculative spirit which i exists everywhere, and which finds I vent in patronising these ignus fatus *

consultations. It must also be acknows ledged that the law, as it at present stands, not alone proves ineffectual in suppressing these sweeps, but actually affords facilities for the effectual carrying out of the fraudulent ones, inasmuch as it renders necessary a certain amount of secrecy on the part of genuine sweeps which is absolutely necessary to the very existence and success of the swindling ones. All this proves that it would be greatly to the interests of the community at large to legalise sweeps in the first place, and then enforce the registry of them in the name of well-known and responsible parties, who should be bound over in a proper manner to conduct the affairs of the consultation according to certain strictly defined rules—-their books, drawings and I accounts to be thrown open at all times for the inspection of members, and that all receipts, tickets, &c., shall bear a penny stamp similar to a bank cheque. Any infringement should be made punishable by imprisonment without fine. This would be the source of a considerable revenue to the colony, and would be the death blow to those speculative scoundrels who are at present existing and thriving by the very means which futile legislation has devised for their suppression. As matters stand at present, these sweeps are nothing less than a standing disgrace to fatuous legislation on the one hand, and to an incompetent and impotent Executive on the other.