WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3543, 3 August 1920, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE SAMOAN PROBLEM. INDENTURED Li BO (JR. (Special Gearrespondent). WELLINGTON, Aug. 2. The debate on the Samoan Report, which was carried on till the lengthening hours of Saturday morning, will not make a very edifying contribution to the records of the House of Reps. Of course the bone of contention was the question of indentured labour and* even the Minister of Internal Affairs and his colleagues could urge nothing further in favour of the importation of Chinese and other Eastern workers than the necessity of keeping the existing plantations from going to rack and ruin. The leader of the Opposition and the other speakers on his side of the House gave a rather grudging assent to the system as a tern-' porary expedient and the Prime Minister undertook that at the earliest possible moment ,the whole position would be reviewed and placed upon a better footing. LABO UB "S DENUNCIATION Of course Mr H. E. Holland, the chairman of the Labour Party, who day by day is becoming less like an effective leader, denounced the whole of the island administration from beginning to end. He would have the Natives exercise the same power of self-determination as he would give to Ireland or, presumably, to any other part of the Empire, and, if they desired it, would leave them to shift for themselves in the great work of reconstruction which will be taxing the genius and resources of the world during the next twenty or thirty ye'aTS. But the general feeling in the House was that the Government was makiug an honest effort to solve the problem in the best interests of the Samoan people and with credit to the Dominion. THE GAMING BILL.

The Legislative Council has returned the Gaming Amendment- Bill to the House with several important amendments, all aimed at making the lot of the bookmaker even harder than it would be under the original measure. One of the most discussed of the new provisions, is an addition to the definition of bookmaker, which is intended to restrain the "amateur" layer of the odds, -who, if this provision is adopted by the House, will be able to •accommodate only one of his clients on each horse, a restricted and hazardous business which would not be likely to bring much to his mill. Sir Francis Bell, who had charge of the Bill in the Council, expects the House will demand a conference on the amendments*., but is hopeful of their becoming law. TOTALISATOE AND PERMITS. Particulars of Mr George Hunter's Gaming Amendment Bill No. 2 are now available aud are exercising the "anti-racing" members of the House even. niOTe than are <the Council's amendments to Bill No. 1. Mr. Hunter proposes that 3S additional totalizator permits should be issued this sjeason, twenty to trotting clubs, ten to country clubs and eight to hunt clubs. The complaints hitherto have been that the metropolitan clubs, have had more than fhelr fair share of permits for flat racing and that the trotting enthusiasts have been very badly .treated in this respect in comparison with the followers of the older sport. Mr Hunter's Bill will be much helped by the prospect of the extinction of the bookmaker, but most of all by the personal popularity of the Member for Waipawa.