GAMBLING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8234, 12 September 1906, Page 7

GAMBLING.

DEPUTATION TO TEE PREMIER.

• A representative deputation, about V fifty strong, which included the .Mayor of Wellington, Parliamentary representatives, clergymen, and various sections of the business community, waited upon the Premier at Wellington on Monday morning, under the auspices of the Wellington Council of Churches, The following were the points brought forward from the Council of Churches:— 1. The abolition of the totalisator on the ground tbnt it Kives State sanction and reapeotabilit y to a vioe, and has enormously increased the area of gambling. 2. The isolation of racecourses fiom telegraphic and telepbonio oommunicatiuii, which will tend to restrict gambling to the actual course where races are being held. 3. The rendering illegal of the publication of betting news and results in the daily papers. Mr Ell, M.H.R., introduced tl'e deputation. The Rev. Dr. Gibb said he had been deputed by the oouaoil to bring under the notice of the Government the great evil that the gambling spirit and passion were doing in the colony, and to indicate to the Government that a large section of the community would be with it if very drastic logialation was brought before Parliament to cope with the evil. The Mayor of Wellington (Hon. T. W. Hislup) expressed his sympathy with the objects oJ the dftputation. 13y regretted that so much space was given in newspapors to horse racing. The Kev. J. J.. North devoted himself to discussing the operations of the totalisator. So long as the Government licensed the totalisator so long it could not be consistent in its attack upon the gambling evil. Mr A. R, Atkinson said that undoubtedly the gambling evil was greater in Australia than in New Zealand, but still it was rapidly growing in this colony, and it was hoped to see the New Zealand Government grappling with the problem as the Australian Governments were doing. Mr G. M, Luke spoke from the industrial standpoint. The totaliflator had made gambling easy and respectable, had done very great evil, and was fatal to the interests of the young men engaged in industries. The Premier recognised the gravity of the extent to whioh the gambling evil has grown, and he was certain the country would have to legislate with a view to its repression. To show what diiection ho was of ouinion this legislation should take, he would give aa indication oC what was on his own mind on the subject. That day a centleman had brought under his notice the fact that two millions sterling had been sent out of Wellington for gambling last year. This whs a far larger sum than he thought it would even have been possible to send. The gentleman in question was not in a position to form an absolutely accurate estimate of the actual sum, but he was certainly able to say with approximate aoouracy what was being don<? in this respeot. Something would have to be done to minimise such figures as these. The money must have been paid very largely by people who could not afford to pay it. At the same time he wanted to say that neither the postal nor telegraph service uould legally do what was asked by the deputation. In the state of the law at present it would be impossible to throw the onus on an official of diotating as to what communications he' could send. He was persuaded in his own mind that an alteration in the law waß required, and that alteration should be in the direction of making it difficult or next to impossible for money to te sent from outside placea to a centre where a race meeting was being held at the time of the meeting. In this .country as in all other countries ihere was a section of the public which believed in racing as a sport and these people had a right to be considered. What was desired was that while they should carry on their racing what was considered the evil effeot of raping should be minimised to the greatest possible degree. At present when a race meeting was held the thing was so carried on that it was practically the same as if that meeting was held in every other town in the j colony. He thought legislation should go in the direotion ot isolating racecourses and that the desire to oarry on racing should be limited to a particular aourae. Street betting should be suppressed altogether. (Hear hear). He was clearly satisfied that any person who allowed a young person to make a bet or take a bet should be so dealt with that the result would be a criminal prosecution. If they oould prevent young people from going on the wrong road they would be doing something whioh was right and proper. The representations in ieferenoe to the prohibition of the publication of dividends was a matter which was worthy of consideration, The publication of dividends was misleading, and he was quite in favor of helping to prevent the growth of the evil as a result of this class of information being disseminated through the country. The Gaming and Lotteries Bill, he thought would become law this session. In relation to Tattersall's they proposed to stoc it as far as possible. They hoped in a month or six weeks to be able to prevent the circulation throughout the colony of literature in reference to these sweeps. As far as it was possible for the Postal Department to stop it it would be done. They oould stop or arreßt communications intended for Tattersall's, but, of course, they oould only go the length that Parliament was prepared to allow. The desire of the country as a whole was, he thought, to prevent the evil becoming part and parcel of the people. He was quite in accord with Dr. Gibb, and Mr Justioe Cooper in their conviction that it was idle to suppose that they could prevent people carrying out their bent or inolinatirn unless there waß a good sound public opinion, it required moral sjpasioi) and the support of the publio generally. He would be glad to look into the question of the Wellington bylaw referred to and

the position in relation to raffles, f 'file Premier then shortly indicated to the deputation that he proposed to have the whole matter looked into, with a view to having some restrictive legislation placed upon the statute book this session. While he was anxious to do his best in a public way there were some things whioh he oould not do. Gambling was going on in private houses by bridge-playing to an exteui that was becoming alarming. Something might be accomplished if these people would exeroise a little self-abnegation. While they sum moned the Ohinaman for playing fan-tan, thousands were being gambled next door. Dr. Gibb said the deputation was pleased at the weighty words which had fallen from the Premier. 'JL'bey left the subject with confidence in his capable hands.