CONSTANT REPETITION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 648, 28 September 1933, Page 4

CONSTANT REPETITION

Constant repetition will wear away the most stubborn opposition and just as sheef persistence brought New Zealand the benefit of daylight saving, it is probable that persistence will eventually remove some of the humbug that encumbers our gaming regulations. Monster petitions are being presented at this present session of Parliament supporting Mr. Healey's Gaming Amendment Bill. This measure is a hardy annual, but it is quite as necessar.y as Sir Thomas Sidey's daylighi; . Saving Bili has proved to be. There is more than a suspicion of specious hypoqrisy. about the official .attitiide .to'ward gambling in this country. The ref usal, to recognise sweepstakes and iotteries wbile sanciioning

art unions is typical and the Nelsonian attitude toward bookmakers is another example. Everyone knows that there are bookmakers and that bookmaking is an organised. ' liusiness throughout the country, yet officialdom places its telescope to its conveniently sightless eye and sees no bookmakers. However, Mr. Healey's measure does not seek to remedy these two major pieces pf humbug, but eoncerns itseif with the ■removal of certain ridiculoiis restrictions at present applied to , racing. The ehief of these are j the telegraphing o£ inyestments to the totaiisator and the pub'li- 1 cation of dividends. It would require rather arduous mental analysis to afrive at the reasohs underlyirig these two restrictions, but lpgic is not the strong point of the official attitude in these matters. Officialdom does not yecognise bookmakers, but it fosters their business to, the Tbest of its power by prohibiting the telegraphing of bets to the totaiisator. There may be some darlr and significant meaning attached to published dividends, but it is apparent only to the hypersensitive official mind. The general conduct of racing in the Dominion is excellent and the fact that racing interests are agreed upon the desirability of removing these restrictions should surely be sufficient to Overcome official scruplesr- The general consensus of opinion is that Mr. Healey's measure will receive strong support in the House and backed by the repre- | sentative petitions which are bej ing presented, there appears to be a strong probability that the Amendment Bill will go through.