WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, 24 April 1920, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE BETTING RESTRICTIONS. ; THEIR EFFECT. (Special Correspondent.) ! Wellington, April 1!). Though the general opinion among • racing men ; s i),. lt ;| l{ , bookmakers will manage to got round the ncSv restrictive s betting regulations,' many people are ena coiiragcd by the large 'increase in the totalizator investments at the Wclliugton Racing Club's meeting last week to f believe an effective blow has been dealt ' at illicit gambling. The machine business aiTreuiliam on Thursday and £at'an increase of £45,321 "' compare .with.that at the corresponding II Ncetmjf last J'"'"/ from £86,192 to 11 £131,473,' or rather more tJvm 52 pp.* cent. It is not contended ihat, the ■• whole "of this increase was due to the e bookmakers' fear of the new regulations, s as the new electric' totalisator was obvili ously responsible for a very large part b of it, but there are unmistakable inf dications that a considerable sum which - otherwise would have passed through 3 the hands of the professional betters 3 went direct to the machine. If this is ■ the general result of the movement much good" will have been achieved. VALEDICTORY. The farewells winch various sections of the community offered 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 ' t is now being the most eulogised. This is not merely in deference to the fami--1 liar injunction "nil nisi bonum de i mortuis," for Sir James is not dead yet !' and during the next three or four years s is likely to be very much alive in the" i interests of the Dominion. But the ! public are recognising on the eve of his • departure that with a certain brusque- • ness of manner and a faculty for saying : biting things, he has warm enthusiasm and high ideals. He will take to Lon- ■ don the goodwill, not only of his poli- ■ tieal friends, hut also of manv of his i political opponents, and that he will do good service in his new office there can be no doubt. \ THE INCOMPLETE CABINET. The leader of the Liberal Party is not a gentleman of many words, but his comments upon the half re-coristructed Cabinet appear to have made an impression even upon Mr. Massev's friends "The supposition that the Bruce defeat ought to react upon the Prime Minister 1 and the Cabinet," the Post says, return- ' ing to the subject, "is quite reasonable The country's interest, which ought to i he paramount, and the Cabinet's,'\vhicli ought to be secondary, both demand that the Government, which is already late upon the tide of reconstruction, should embark in complete complement without further delay; the wind sits in the shoulder of the sail; but full advantage will not be takm of wind and tide unless the craft is fully manned, and manned with her permanent crew." This of course, is a demand for the speedy'appoinfmeiit of Sir James Allans successor and for early information concerning the other impending vacancies. LIBERAL AND LABOR. The Hon. W. D. s. Mac Donald is not to be drawn into a controversy with the notorious Rev. Elliott in regard to the relations between the LiberaUnd the Labor parties, but when seen this morning he stated he knew nothing of i •compact" or an "undemtanditi"" or anything tha of the ~j nd limit m any way the individual freedom ot the two parties. It was quite possible there would be many matters on wluch 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 o hem was prepared to surrender its identity, there would be more im--1 ink of during the approaching session, and he hoped to see all the parties giving them their earnest attention.