PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1921, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

YESTERDAY’S SITTING. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. NEW GAMING PROPOSALS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Finance Bill was received -from the House and was put through all stages and passed. The Mental Defectives Amendment Bill, the Public Contracts and Local Bodies Contractors Amendment Bill, and the Counties Amendment Bill were put through committee, read a third time, and passed. The Hon. Sir E. Mitchelson moved the second reading of the Gaming Amendment Bill, which provides for secretaries of racing clubs to receive telegraphic instructions for investments in the totalizator. His Bill, he said, had been brought down to transfer the great volume of illegal betting now going on into a proper legal channel. The double totalisator would enable people who took doubles to be certain of securing a run for their money. The State, if this Bill was passed, would benefit by increased returns from clubs. The Hon. VV. H. Triggs supported the second reading, because the only way to extinguish the bookmaker was to extinguish his profits.

The Hon. Sir James Carroll said he proposed to move to increase trotting permits from 59 to 85. The Hon. M. Cohen regretted the treatment given to the Racing Commission’s report. He would move to limit winter race meetings to seven events per day. The Bill was read a second time. In committee Mr. Triggs’ amendment legalising the publication in the newspapers of totalisator dividends was adopted by 19 votes to 6. Sir E. Mitchelson said he could not accept Mr. Cohen’s amendment as the limitation o-f events would increase the present difficulty occasioned by large entries. The amendment was lost by 19 votes to 6, and Sir James Carroll’s amendment was lost on the voices. The Bill was read a third time ana passed. The Council rose at 3.55 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. The Hon. Sir R. H. Rhodes, replying to Mr. A. S. Malcolm (Clutha), said he proposed issuing shortly a statement regarding the regulations governing military chaplains. These regulations provided for the representation of religious bodies on the chaplains board according to population. The Public Trust Office Amendment Bill was received from the Legislative Council and read a. first time. Amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Native Trustee Amendment Bill were, on the motion of the Hon. J. <4. Coates, agreed to. Amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Education Amendment Bill were agreed to after a division, in which an amendment moved by Mr. C. E. Statham (Dunedin Central) to postpone their consideration was defeated by 38 votes to 27. The House rose at 11.40 p.m. till 2.30 pm. to-morrow.