BETTING ON A RACECOURSE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8392, 9 April 1907, Page 6

BETTING ON A RACECOURSE

By Telegraph—Press Association. ' NEW PLYMOUTH, April 8. The adjourned sitting of the Supreme Court opened this morning, Judge Cooper presiding. In the bookmakers' appeals against a conviction by the Magistrate for betting on the racecourse in December last, the appeal of Flannagan was allowed on the facts. In the case against Champion, His Honor reserved his decision on an important point of law. Betting was admitted, but the point raised by Mr Sptnce was whether the Borough bylaws, under which the information was laid, were invalid in so far as they applied to the racecourse on race days. The reserve was vested in the Borough Council as trustees, but the New Plymouth Recreation Racecourse Reserve Act expressly stated that the Council were to have no power to make by-laws and regulations under the Reserves Act of 1885 with regard to the racecourse, Legislature providing that this power should be vested in the Jockey Club, who alone could make regulations regarding the conditions of admitting the public to race meetings. Although the club had not made regulations they could not delegate power to the Council. If the Borough betting by-law would apply to the racecourse during races so might the furious riding by-law be made to apply,, which was absurd. Mr Quilliam argued that the"Council had exclusive control over the reserve. His Honor, in intimating that he would take time to consider his judg ■ ment, said the question wa3 whether the reserve on race days was exclusively vested in the Jockey Club so that it could not be considered a publie place and the by-law not apply on those days.