TALKED OUT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 228, 26 September 1930, Page 9

TALKED OUT.

GAMING AMENDMENT BILL. SECOND CHANCE DOUBTFUL. DECISION WITH GOVERNMENT. (By .Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.). WELLINGTON, this day. It remains for the Government to decide whether., and when the Gaming Amendment Bill will again be brought up for discussion. Last night the opponents of the bill adopted the course, of talking it out. The acting-Prime Minister, the Hon. E. A. Ransom, interviewed after the House rose, said he was unable to say whether a further opportunity would be given for consideration of the bill. On rising to move the second reading of the bill last evening, Mr. K. S. Williams (Reform, Bay of Plenty) was greeted with applause. lie said the bill contained only two provisions, to enable people to telegraph bets on horse racing to the secretary of the club holding the meeting and to permit the publication of dividends. It had been asserted that the bill, if carried, would increase gambling, but this, he contended, would not be so. It would only enable people to use the legalised form of betting. Mr. Williams quoted figures showing the number of prosecutions and convictions for bookmaking. These, lie said, demonstrated that

betting was going oil, and it: was preferable that the Government and racing clubs should get any be'nefit accruing from the practice. There was a business sido of racing and that was tlie side which concerned the employment of joc-

keys and trainers. Mr K s Williams, Tf money continued

to go into the hands of bookmakers instead of o'n to the totalisator, it would endanger the livelihood of these men. Mr. H. T. Armstrong (Labour, Christchurch East) and R. A. Wright (Reform, Wellington Suburbs) opposed the bill. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Government, Waitomo) said that during the last year there had been a hundred and one applications from religious bodies for permission to hold art unions. The principle was the same as betting on horse racing. He said that if people weie permitted to telegraph bets they weie likely to be satisfied with the investment of one pound, whereas if they attended a meeting they might be induced to bet on every race. Referring to the publication of dividends, Mr. Broadfoot asked why* the public should not be told these details openly. Those who wanted to know would find out in any case by tiptoeing round the corner to a bookmaker.

"Betting Inherent." Mr. W. -D. Lysnar (Independent Reform, Gisborne) said he had come to the conclusion that betting was inherent in our British constitution. He was quite satisfied it was useless to try to continue with a law that was driving this betting underground. It was a wrong thing to allow to remain on the Statute Book a law that was being openly defied. It tended to bring all laws into disrespect. He contended that it was a bogy to argue that the provisions of the bill would increase facilities for betting, which would go on in any case, Mr. W. E. Parry (Labour, Anekland Central) said it appeared that the Sta,te had achieved very little success in its attempt to suppress "the bookmaker. Therefore it seemed desirable that there should be an attempt at some reasonable control. This would be preferable to driving the business underground, as it was to-day. He believed the totalisator had been responsible for the large amount of betting in this country to-day. It obliged people to bet to the extent of ten shillings a race, whereas they could previously have bet two or three shillings with a bookmaker. It was nonsense to argue that the bill would reduce business with bookmakers.

Move To License bookmakers,

Mr. T. Makitanara' (Government, Southern Maori) said tliat it was oyly hypocrisy to endeavour to stop gambling and he would move an amendment later with the object of legalising the bookmaker. The idea of previous legislation had been to eradicate the bookmakers, but now they were stronger than ever. There was no reason why a licence fee should not be collected from the bookmaker, . especially as the country was in need of revenue. " Mr. F. Langs tone- (Labour, Waimarino) said he regretted the bill had been brought forward when there were so many more important subjects to be considered. No sport had a more damaging effect on human beings than racing, and the present bill would siinnly turn the poet offices into totalisator shops. He believed it would also encourage booktti akers. Mr. R. Semple (Labour, Wellington EastV opposed the bill. Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Labour party, said he hoped th* bill would go past the second reading. There were a number of amendments necessary ill the gaming legislation. He had heard some remarkable views on the subject of the publication of dividends. If it was wrong to publish dividends-in a newspaper it was wrong to publish them on I the racecourse. He also supported the proposal to telegraph bets .to the totalisator. . . Mr. H. Holland (Reform, Christehurch North) strongly opposed the bill on tlie ground that it would increase gam The • debate was interrupted by tlie rising of the House at 10.30 p.m.