Greyhound-Racing Has Many Enemies

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 352, 12 May 1928, Page 1

Greyhound-Racing Has Many Enemies

BILL FOR LOCAL CONTROL DOG-RACING has many enemies in Britain. No fewer than 1,600 resolutions protesting against the sport were received by the Home Secretary. The House of Commons has read & second time the Bill requiring all dog-racing tracks to be licensed by local authorities.

(United P.A.—By Telegraph —Copyrij7Af fAtisfraluiN .P.A.— United Service)

Reed. 10.56 a.m. LONDON, Friday.

In the House of Commons. Mr. John Buchan, Conservative member for the Scottish Universities, moving the second reading of the DogRacing Bill, requiring all tracks to be licensed by local authorities, said a strong case could be made for dog-racing as an interesting sport. No case could be made against local control. The municipalities were the best judges of the wellbeing of their own areas. The cardinal point was that grey-hound-racing had increased the betting. It had become an enormous financial interest, with over 150 registered companies, and several millions of capital. One of the guarantees that profit would be earned was the facilities for mass betting. Though betting was an ancient and ineradicable human instinct, this did not remove the objections to the artificial creation on a large scale of betting opportunities, and therefore thrusting temptation on the classes least able to sustain losses. Mr. Buchan said that unless the sport were regulated, it would drift into a chain of casinos all over the country. The sport was just beginning, and its ultimate development could not be foreseen. They must harmonise it with the public interest while there was yet time. Sir Frank Meyer, Conservative member for Great Yarmouth, moving the rejection of the Bill, objected to attempts to raise the moral tone by repressive legislation. Why should greyhound racing be singled out from other sports? Local authorities had not controlled horse-racing, pony-rac-ing, coursing, whippet-racing, football.

cricket, boxing. He was not pretending that greyhound-racing was possible without betting, but there was enormous betting in professional Association footbali. Mr. J. H. Thomas. Labour member for Derby, said nobody enjoyed horseracing more than himself, hut since greyhound-racing had started he had not attended a horse race. Mr. Thomas said he was associated with and approved all kinds of sport and healthy recreation, but he was opposed to greyhoundracing, which he considered bad for the working class. He strongly favoured a veto by local authorities. Sir Robert Hamilton. Liberal member for Orkney and Shetland, said

a local Press plebiscite in his co uency had resulted in 14,000 post in favour, and only one agains Bill. The Home Secretary, Sir Joy Hicks, said the only question whether the sport ought to be trolled. He had been inundated correspondence on the subject, had received 1,600 resolutions a* greyhound-racing, ar.d very fe favour of it. He hai seen man putations. So long as the sport was properly* conducted for the sport’s sake, he saw no reason against it. On the other hand, if ft were a mere cloak for gambling, it was a matter for Parliament’s consideratio 1, whether it should not be stopped. Not prepared to go to that length, the Government had decided to leave the matter free for the vote. Personally, he supported the Bill. The Bill was read a second time by 222 to 18. An attempt to refer it to a Select Committee was defeated by 185 to 36.