OFFSPRING OF THE GAMING ACT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3142, 20 March 1909, Page 5

OFFSPRING OF THE GAMING ACT.

THE SOCIAL SIDE OF A LEGIS LATIVE FAILURE.

THE EMPIRE CITY'S BURDEN.

POLICE EFFICIENCY NEUTRAL ISED.

"Yes, there is no doubt," said a prominent New Zealand police officer, in conversation with a Wairarapa Age reoorter in Wellington on Thursday, "that the Gaming Act has a lot to answer for to the people of the Dominion, and especially in the cities, in the way of calling into existence and the propagating a class of individual least desired in any law-abiding community. Without derogation to the small circle of legitimate bookmakers who conduct as healthy a business as the nature of their calling permits," continued this official, "there now infests Wellington city, and no doubt other centres of population asi well, a perfect

HORDE OF RACECOURSE HARPIES ,

who, race meetings are slack find ample scope for their dangerous talents in various unlawful ways in the city, and on the railway train." These strong expressions of opinion, coming from such a reliable and responsible source,were prompted by a query the pressman as to the cause of so many idlers in certain selected parts of the main streets of the city, concerning which localities very little investigation was needed to show them to be adjacent to establishments where the latest racing intelligence was always available.

"THE POLICE ARE POWERLESS to (leal with armies of individuals who, prior to the Gaming Act, would have been very eligible subjects for Magisterial treatment under the laws dealing with vagrancy. A.s a matter of painful fact they are ho now, but when a police officer suspects that one of them is becoming so objectionable to society that in the public interest he should be given a chance to get legitimate employment, clear out, ur go to gaol, the officer is met by the technically insuperable objection 'Excuse me, Sir, I am a licensed bookmaker,' and this very valid objection is not' infrequently uttered with much contumely."

The pressrrian was given instance after instance of the industrious and highly successful manner in which these apparent idlers pursue their unlawful occupation, in complete defiance of the police, whose numbers would probably have to be increased to cope adequately with the rapidly INCREASING ARMY OF RACECOURSE PARASITES

Paragraphs have recsntly gone the rounds of the New Zealand Press as to the presence on railway trains of card-sharpers, who, adopting the methods very familiar to frequenters of Australian racecourses and other places where the "three-card-trick" vulture swoops down on his victim, travel with at least one "butler." For the enlightenment of the innocent, a "butler" is a confederate of the sharper, who acts as though the latter were an entire stranger to him, and while pretending to take a most solicitous interest in the welfare of the victim by urging him to "bet heavy and get Rquare next time," in reality is feathering a nest in which he has a big proprietary interest. The writer encountered .two of these very gentlemen returning to Masterton from the last TauhereniKau races. In the perfectly secure haven of a "first-class smoker" the pressman saw them, "rook" (to use the parlance of the tribe) a young man of nearly £4 by what they termed a V

LITTLE GAME OF "SING-TIE-LOO,"

in which the cards, were unquestionably marked. On another occasion the writer saw two other equally reputable looking characters, whose countenances alone would have caused a Magistrat3 serious misgivings, taking down a semiintoxicatefcl man for every shilling he possessed by means of a most obvious swindle with cards, the occurrence taking place in the bar of a Wairarapa hotel just after the races. A large crowd looked on and wisely said and did nothing—wisely in view of the "villainous" appearance of the sharp?rs. Now one of these individuals during the day was engaged on the course in some way assisting a bookmaking firm, and doubtless if accosted in Wellington city and questioned as to his qualification as a vagrant would have said "I am a licensed bookmaker," somewhat as that proud boast "I am a Roman citizen," was given expression to, and with synonymous effect. However, it is pleasing to chronicle that one of the latter worthy pair a month or two afterwards received

"TWO YEARS' HARD L4BOUR"

for theft of a gold watch from the person of a man round Otak^'way. Now, it must be very obvious that if people who so capably qualify for "two years hard labour" are nurtured and protected by a certain Act of Parliament, from a social standpoint that Act of Parliament has a serious defect in it somewhere, Ever since the Gaming Act was passed the public, and doubless many of the "crsok" pencillers themselves, have wondered how on earth the Parliament suddenly discovered that such a gem as that Act had so long remained unlegislated. In a leading article in the columns of the Wairarapa Age • some few months ago it was shown most clearly that from a financial aspect the Gaming Act of 1907 had lost thousands of pounds in revenue to racing clubs on a certain number of important race meetings held at consecutive dates throughout the Dominion, and what was worse, threatened to and meant loss to the Treasury of the Dominion of a sum also running into several thousands per annum. Now, add to this the fact that our cities are being compelled to harbour the "welsher," the jj"spieler," and the "crook," of all other denominations, and it seems a fair query to put to the Premier, who saw so much virtue in the new measure,

HAS NOT THE ACT FAILED ABSOLUTELY? {

Masterton residents are not' unfamiliar with the racecourse "welsher"—one was badly bitten by a "man with the bag" at a northern

[meeting a fortnight ago-and it would probably mean spsedy extinction for an Act which, for one more or less innocuous social organism breds countless numbers of a highly dangerous variety, if a referendum were the ineans employed of ascertaining the public verdict on the matter. The politician who brings the question up before the House next session and places ail sides of it before Parliament, and especially from the standpoints of common sense, and the personal wellbeing of the community, will undoubtedly make a name for himself, as there is ample ammunition already available to send the new Act skywards in*a very small compass of time.