BETTING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 290, 7 December 1944, Page 4

BETTING

Your correspondent, J. Orr, in his support of the necessity for bookmakers, dubs me as t having a "peculiar mental concept" about gambling, drinking and "other things." Let me hasten to explain that if to believe in the legitimate channels of racing, and moderation in drinking, is to be typed as peculiar, then I am an oddity of the last degree Your correspondent states, inter alia, that I think "if the admitted abuses of gambling were prohibited by legislation, the world would be a better place." These abuses are prohibited, but admittedly we still have bookmakers. Following this to its logical conclusion, it can truly be inferred that the penalties to date have been no deterrent, but no doubt a gaol sentence would be all that is required to permanently absent from their ranks such a number of these law breakers as would make the tracking down of the remainder comparatively easy work for the police. The latter section of Mr. Orr's letter is a veritable ode to the bookmaker, and expounds his virtues while forgiving his shortcomings. Surely everyone knows that by the majority of investors losing, dividends are ■ created for the few who participate in them. As regards the liquor issue, the matters raised are irrelevant to this issue, and so I am prepared to concede that Mr. Orr may know something about that subject. wee McGregor.