WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3465, 20 April 1920, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE BETTING RESTRICTION-S. THEIR EFFECT. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, April 19. Though the general opinion among racing men is that the bookmakers will manage to get round the new restrictive betting regulations, many people are encouraged by the large increase in the totalisator investments at the Wellington Racing Club’s meeting last Week to believe an effective blow has been dealt at illicit gambling. The machine business at Trentham on Thursday and Saturday showed an increase of £45,321, compared with that at the corresponding meeting last year, from £86,192 to £131,413, 01' rather more than 52 per cent. ,It is not contended that the whole of this increase ‘was due to the bookmakers’ fear of the new regulations, as the new electric totalisator was obviously responsible for a very large part of it, but there are understandable indications that a considerable sumpwhich otherwise Would haile passed. through the hands of the professional betters went direct to the machine. If this is the general result of -the movement much good will have been achieved. ‘ VALEDICTCRY. The farewells which various sections of the community ofi:‘ered to Sir James Allen last week were of a very cordial and appreciative character. If Sir James has been the most criticised and the most vehemently denounced of the members of the Reform Government he is now the most eulogised. This is not merely in deference to the familiar injunction “nil nisi bonum de. mortuis,” for Sir James is not dead yet, and during the next three or four years is likely t.o be very much alive in the interests of the Dominion. But the public are recognising on the eve of his departure that with a. certain brusqueness of manner and ii ‘faculty for saying bitingjzhings, he has Warm enthusiasm and high’ ideals. He will take to ,London the “goodwill, not only of his political. ‘friends, but also of many of his old political opponents, and that hevwill do good service in his new office there can be no doubt. _ THE INCOMPLETE CABINET. . .

The Leader of the Liberal Party is not a ge_n;ilelnan 'of many Words, but his comments upon the half; re-com structed‘Cabinet appear to have made an impression upon Mr I\lassey’s friends. “The supposition that the Bruce defeat. ought to react upon the Prime Minister and Cabinet,” the Post. says, returning to the subject, “is quite reasonable. The country’s in‘rel-ests, which ought to be paramount, and the Cabinet’s, which ought to_be- secondary, boll: denland that the Government, which is already late upon the tide of reconstruction, should embark in complete complement withour further delay; the Wind sits in the shoulder of the sail; but full advantage will not be talren of wind and tide mlless the craft is fiully manned, and manned with her permanent crew." Tliis. of course, is ‘a demand for the speo(l_V appointment of Sir James Allen’s successor, and for early information eonce-rniixg Ithe other impending Vacancies. I _ LIBERAL AND LABOUR.-

The Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald is not to be drawn into a. controversy with thenotorious Rev. Howard Elliott. in regard to the relations between the Liberals and the Labour Parties, but when seen this morning he stated he knew nothing of a “compact” or an “understanding” or anything else of the kind that Would" limit in any way the individual treedom of the two parties. It was quite possible there would be many matters on which they would find themselves in unison when they met on the floor of the House, but this would not mean that they were conspiring together for the overthrow; of the Government or that ‘either of them was prepared to surrender its identity. There would be more i.mport- 4 ant things, than party compacts to think of during the approaching session, and he hoped to see all the parties giving them t}Teir earnest atten—: tion, '