PROCEEDINGS IN THE UPPER HOUSE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12969, 23 November 1907, Page 10

PROCEEDINGS IN THE UPPER HOUSE.

(press association telegram.; WELLINGTON, November 22. On the Council resuming at 2.30 p.m. tho Gaming and Lotteries ActAmendment Bill was received from tho Houso, and read a first time. Tho Attorney-General immediately moTed the second reading of the Bill. Three distinct camps, he said, were in evridenco on this question. These were the totalisator camp, the bookmakers camp, and what he might call the •Puritan*' camp. Tho "Puritans'' strove for the abolition of the totalisator, and the bookmakers said that men of limited means, who cannot afford to bet on the totalisator, should be permitted to make minor bets. The Bill was a plain working compromise between the three broad camps he had outlined. Mr Wigram seconded the motion, and congratulated tho Government on the boldness it had displayed in deal-ing-with this Question. He objected to Clause 35 (licensing bookmakers), as ho considered that betting- should be ctrictly confined to the totalisator. He hoped the clause licensing bookmakers would be struck out. A long discussion ensued, mainly m support of tho Bill. M.r Macdonald attacked the Bill. He particularly condemned the clause licensing bookmakers. In replying, tho Attorney-General said it would bo tho veriest cant to deny that associated with our vigorous national life was an evil which the Bill sought to minimise. The second reading of the Bill was carried on the voices, and the. Bill wa« immediately committed. All the 'clauses tip to and iniditditig 30 were carried without amendment. Mr Jenkinson moved to add to cl.--.itse 31. by making it nn offence to publish the winners of prizes in any sweep or lottery. This was negatived on the voices. The discussion was interrupted by tho 5 p.m. adjournment. At tlie evening sitting, Mr AVigram moved to strike out the first line of clause 35, with a view to testing the question of tho continuation of the totalisator. This-was lost by 14 votes to 9. .The same clause provides that rneing cluhs authorised to use the totalisator "shall" issue licenses to bookmakers, who in the opinion of the committee of such clubs, are fit and proper persons. George moved to. substitute th<» word > "may" for "shall." Tin's was lost by 14 votes to 7. Clause 37 (which was inserted at the instance of Mr T. H. Davey, in the Lower House last .light), reduced the number of days on which the totalisator can be used, by one-sixth. This clause was struck out, on the motion of the Attorney-General. Mr Jenkinson moved a new clause to strictly limit investments on the totalisator to cash. This was rejected on the voices. The Attorney-General moved to add te clause 31 (making it an offence to publish the dividend on a horso race) by making it an additional offence to publish "any statement from whioh a dividend or starting price might be calculated." This, he said, would prevent even tho publication of figures relating to the support accorded to each horse. Mr Carncross aaid tho Bill hit the press, and hit it pretty hard, yet not one murmur had been heard against it. The newspapers would observe the spirit of the Act. Dr. Findlay said ho had not the slightest doubt that reputable newspapers would, but there was no disguising the fact that a section of the press, which Mr Carncross could name, would be only too ready to take advantage of any loop-hole. Tho addition to the clause was agreed to on the voices, and the Bill was reported with amendments, read a third time, and passed. Tho Council rose at 8.15 p.m.