BOOKMAKER NOT BARRED.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5568, 26 October 1910, Page 3

BOOKMAKER NOT BARRED.

It was generally presumed that the introduction this session of the G^m'ug Amendment Bill repealing the leg.il status given to bookmakers under the Gaming nnd Lotteries Act Amendment, 1007, would effectively tar the fraternity iv the Dominion. Some doubt, however, appears to have arisen as to whether such will be the case. Clause 4of this year's bill casts a duty oc every racing club authorised to use a totalisator at any race meeting to use all reasonable and lawful means of preventing bookmakers from plying their calling oa the racecourse of such meeting. The bill fails, however, to bring registered meetings thai do not hold a totalisator permit within its scope. Should it do so such m^etngs would have to be conducted with neither machine nor bookmaker. On the other hand the Minister of In-

ternal AtTairs, in giant ing the license for these meetings, has power to impose such conditions as to the management and control of the same iv he may thi ik fit. Several well-known racing authorities in tho House when approarhed on tho subject repressed the opinion that bookmakers would, if the bill parses, still be free to atteud registered meetings (where there is no totalisator), at coursiug meetings, and at cluy pigeon shooting contests, etc.