THE GAMING BILL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 178, 7 November 1910, Page 5

THE GAMING BILL.

REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE. SOME IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS. The special committee to which was referred the Gaming Act Amendment reported the result of its deliberations on Wednesday night, many interesting amendments having been made in thf measure. The bookmaker is to secure a month's unexpected respite. Instead of coming into operation on January 1, 1911, as was originally proposed, the committee has amended the Bill to make it operative on January 31. A complete recasting of the restrictions upon the issue of totalisator permits has been carried out. The Bill, as introduced, provided for 50 days' trotting and 190 days of ordinary racing. This clause has been deleted, and in its place is inserted a clause: "Provided that the number of days on which the totalisator may be used during the year at racing and trotting meetings shall not exceed 250, each class of racing to be reduced proportionately to the number of days on which the totalisator was used by'each elass during the twelve months immediately preceding the coming into operation of this Act." The Commission's duty will be to allocate the licenses.

No race meeting, states another new clause, shall extend over a longer period than eight days in the case of- a fourday meeting, or six days in the case of a three-day meeting, or four days in the case of a two-day meeting. No more than seven races shall be run on any one day at any race meet-

mg. A concession to investors is made by allowing the use of cheques on the totalisator, if they are presented before the race.

Sports-grounds, whereon betting is prohibited under fine of £2O, are to include coursing matches, pigeon-s'hoot-ing matches, and inanimate-shooting contests.

The committee proposes the repeal of sub-section 4 of clause 30 of the principal Act, which prohibited the publication in newspapers, etc., of statements regarding the dividend paid on investments on the totalisator in respect of any horse-race, or the starting price, or anything from which the amount of the dividend or starting price could be calculated. The limitation of duration of race meetings is to operate from August 1, 1911. The committee increased from £lO to £SO the maximum fine to which a person under twenty-one years is liable for representing himself as over the age for the purpose of making a totalisator investment.

EVIDENCE NOT PRINTED. In presenting the Select Committee's report on the Bill, Mr. Laurenson (the chairman) stated that the evidence taken had not been noted or printed. Mr. Massey expressed dissatisfaction at that neglect to take a note of the evidence. The Prime Minister stated that in deciding not to print the evidence the committee was prompted by a desire to see the Bill reported this session. If they had commenced to note the evidence in shorthand, the probabilities were that they would be going for a week or two after the session ended.

Mr. J. F. Arnold (chairman of the Labor Bills Committee) supported the Prime Minister's contention by his own experience. The Labor Bills Committee had commenced to take evidence on the Tramways Bill about the third week in the session, and the evidence was not yet to hand.

Mr. Laurenson remarked that a summary of the evidence was available in the committee's minutes. The Bill was set down for second reading next sitting day.