THE TOTALISATOR.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 22, 9 January 1912, Page 5

THE TOTALISATOR.

THE CHIEF JUSTICE BEFORE THE COMMISSION. GAMBLING WHOLLY CONDEMNED. (Per Press issoemtion.) Rotorua, January S. Before the Totalisator Commission, Sir Robert Stout said he considered the only way to put down gambling was by a strong public opinion. He did not favour the introduction of the totalisator into Australian racing. Ho considered it did not prove a valuable adjunct to social life. If the State thought it wrong to allow lotteries, there should be no gambling permitted. Gambling was an injury to the race, and should lie put down. The bookmaker had got such a hold on the young people of Now Zealand in the past, that the Government had to step in and abolish him. He regarded the bookmaker as a parasite. In reply to a question, Sir Robert Stout said he thought if the tote were introduced into Australia, more women would be indlined to bet than was the case at present. A lottery meant that a person was gaining something at the expense cf some other person. Ho considered a great many people stay away from races at the present time owing to the gambling element. A person could get sport without getting it at the expense of somebody else. He believed if Australia abolished the bookmaker and replaced him by the totalisator, gambling would not decrease, bait would, in fact, increase. He was absolutely opposed to gambling in any form. The gambling spirit had increased enormously during the last forty years. Credit hefting was worse than cash betting. If public conscience was not as yet sufficiently advanced to put down all gambling, the proper thing to do was to put it down as much as possible.