TO BANISH BETTING.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 166, 15 July 1910, Page 2

TO BANISH BETTING.

......... ._. ....., " " -t'-' THE PREMIER'S PROPOSALS?' -,: ' must ' ißß~i>dW:s> : Although opinions are' divided on the ~ questioir of gambling on-the most of the views expressed * "to a "Star" reporter—this morning were to _<the effect .that the feeling in favour of shgsMng it is generally recognised' even by people who are inclined to look oh it more as a recreation than an evil. The widespread effects as evidenced in ■certain cases that have been brought to have moved many people" who previously were inclined to " iegard' the habit with .«oineth:ng like disinterested and stirred, them to- assist restriction, if iiph-jrefonn. lv. order that "the House may have an opportunity-,of discussing - the. matter:_in all its bearings, the Pre- . mier.,(Sir Joseph Ward) is to move the .-. following resolutions:—d. "That, in the ppiniqn of .the House, the provision in the Gaming Act relating to the licensing . -of bookmakers should be repealed." 2. "That, the use. of the totalisator be prohibited by law." 3. "That provision be . made for the reduction in the annual jmmber of race meetings and totalisator permits by one-hall." - -"TxIS OBIGINAL MEASnaE. "A former member of Parliament,- representing an Auckland constituency, who occupied a seat in the House when the bin'"asking: for the legalisation of the totalisator was introduced by the then Colonial Secretary, the late Mr. Thos. iHek, has a vrrid recollection of the deibate that was provoked by the proposal. The real object of the measure was to try and combat the manifestly grave "evils attaching to the system of "bookmaiki rig. It pa £his pivot round "-wMch" thY debate centred, but the exParliamentarian, in ejues-tion opposed legalising the machine, on grounds which jfce had goen no reason to change -since, namely, the totalisator would initiate -theJiaMt'a smoagst- the young, people of offered..by. tho -' imagine, £#•-"■■wSio"' wxdd #ofc "dream ! ohdcai r aß,y eSievonsta3iee3 "ot making a with a, hookmafeei!. This eanten- • ition, he contends, has bean amply homo •pat -by since 1880, a»d: ha - hails-'-with- dplight, in-the interests ■ of —jthe/peoplej-iha proposal emanating from ~%e Premier- to-more for--the abolition «f the toialisatpr, - - As" a matter -of some interest, the gemtlanan. interviewed mentioned th.at the -measure legalising' -the machine was brought forward by such a staunch pillar of the Presbyterian Church as was ■the then. Colonial Secretary, who no doubt conscientiously believed thai he -/was doing- good sendee to the ■ Staie, "-■as-did-veryvmany. of-.the members -who ■ voted with him. The : considers that there- is a good prospect of *he Premier's proposalSj which, from his 'view-point, bright -direction, being -amoved- by a majority ia the —Bouse:—-- -■— -— .IWHISr. COMMERCE "TAKES AEASp. -I -think that the outrageously evil 'influence of gambling upon the community js now so gariecally r-ecognised, jknd has made such an impression that •thej "public" demand" for its" abolition "will "have" force "enough "to "compel the Govthe "House to'"remove the "legal protection"which now shelfers.it," 2* TemarkedMi. W-esley Sp'ragg. "'"I should ' "say ":thai 'the" iegaiiaad bookmaker is "' doo'm'edW-ppssibly 'in attempt "will be " made" To care the totalisator; It is difr fieult to forecast what will happen. I ffiiiiik jt is probable AthaA those legis- " "latbrs who; on the "professed grounds of '''fair".'playi"' have "; stood' by the. book- ' '.'maker, will insist-that if he is to go the '"'rtot'alisatoE must go as well, and combined forces "will possibly sweep ihe whole thing away, ir at least ban it as ""illegal. Ihe commercial part, of the ■"ccuamunity~hftf-ni>w got hold of this " "thing,""and. I have noticed that when "".that happens-things move, Tne bookmaker is a crying evil, The totalisator . may lppk .more., respectable, but it too . ..shguld be abolished for its many sins." Mr. W. H. Smith ■tho.Ught there should be..no. two opinions among people who . <were, anxious for-the well-being of the . community, the future of the young, and •the security of business. '"There is a lot of this betting going on," said Mr. (Smiaa, "and it is only when its effects „,.are brought home .to people (as in the l. ~Q?>\ ihave .recently engaged public attention) .that one" realises the" "hold at has on the community. " I judge from ... ■the., remarks, that have been .made on " -be no difficulty in the -Premier's reaojhtttjga being carried in its entirety. The aeeling is so strong in all sections of the community -against -this tremendous evil . .that I..fully believe, his proposals will .become law. In my opinion the last . .part of the resolution touches the root of the matter. The greatest temptation as.undoubtedly the race meeting, which _ :mafc,es the. totalisator possible.' While ■the totalisator siay be termed the least objectionable feature of this class of gambling, ; an; ia<ialoulaTde amount of JiaTm. has., been ..done by the legalising ....-?£. it-respectable! if such a thing were possible. . People gamble now who a few years ago would never harre dreamed o£ going up to a •totalisator. They do it beeattse the thing has come to be r-ecognised by - -iaw. - The - idea- of women .betting in -£his v -manner- -would have been scorned -not so Jong ago. It "is -tnis feature of •the present system '-that is so insidious. There is one point-in -the- controversy I would like to comment on, and that is gambling-in churciies by way of art • aunions at bazaars. "Tod much is made -Of this cry. Ud doubt a good deal of it may have existed in the past, but it is hot" pTe-Talent to any istent to-day. My -experience is thait very few churches permit "theise art umbns'ndw."

la ; The Hon. E. president qf RnciSg Club, said the bookmaker must go for a certainty, and the of race meetings would probably be reduced; but he did not think the totalisator would be abolished, je£ a while. He pointed put that the Auckland Ciub was the first to take a st^nd 1 against bookmakers doing business on i the course, and it was only the Act of a. - -fgw -sessions ago that readmitted them. The passing of that measure had no -doubt been, responsible-for bringing from -Australia a large number of spielers who ... the . racecourses, especially, in _. the "-country districts... Though racing -. clubs derived, a .egrt.ain amount of.reyenue ... by. bookmakers'.licenses, lie did.not think ...one elpb in. the Dominion Ty-ould seek the ;TCtention of the bookmaker.. With the ...legalising of. the fraternity, too', there a_ljad_been a large increase of racing clubs, particidarly of the unregistered variety, ran - chiefly by- the- -bookmakers, and ■srithoui-ihe-latter-these mushroom dubs.: ■axrsiA «sme to exist, ,

:So far as the abolition of thetotaiisatoi was concerned, Mr. Mitchelson said he had very little to say. "People will have some interest in horse racing," he pointed out, "and if they.cannot do it openly, as afforded.by the -machine, they will do it surreptitiously. I do not think that at a the present juncture it would be wise to ,; do away with the totalisator. It is the ( * most harmless form of all betting, especially since clubs" Isave .ceased to give ,-. credit to patrons of the machine. "He ; stated that while in Parliament he had ' always voted against the totalisator, so j that his personal views were in. accord with those of the Premier in moving for ' L the abolition of the machine. The pro- ( to reduce the munber of totalisator permits was, jn his opinion, a step in ... the right direction, and he thought, also, that the .number of days on which race meetings are held should be lessened. "If ; racing -were confined to the metropolitan - tcentres -it would be quite sufficient." he a declared. - Mr. Mitchelson was of opinion that racing clubs would be strongly against the doing away with the totalis |, sator, while he did not think the. GOHfirn--1 ment would be prepared to sacrifice" the •j revenue involved, a sum which he roughly : estimated at £100,000 per aunum.