UNREGISTERED MEETINGS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 649, 28 October 1909, Page 7

UNREGISTERED MEETINGS.

ATTITUDE OF THE RACING CONFERENCE. i STATEMENT BT Hpk' E.. MITGHELSON; (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) ■■/'.

■•■•■ ;. i 'Auckland,; October 27. In replying to; a deputation'from the AntiGambling League on Monday, tho Prime Minister referred to. the .: jnorcaso., in. the number of race meetings, and the opinion that .legislation should bo passed to bring the number within reasonable limits. The remarks made by Sir Joseph, Ward were brought under the notice' of .;•,the Hon.E. Mitchelson, president of tho;Auckland Hoeing Club, and Mr. Mitchelson explained that the Eacing Conference, and many .of the metropolitan clubs, were opposed.to the establishment of, unregistered meetings.'; In'- the Auckland district there was a largo, number of unregistered Meetings, which wore practically run jn the interests of bookmakers. ■'.'. The chances were', that the, metropolitan . bodies would take action in a short tfirio to suppress unregistered meetings by.refusing to license bookmakers who betted at them:.,This,,it'was considered; would be: the most effectual way of checking them. It might result in an action at law. to compel thei clubs'fo'issueUicenses, but it would appear that the, Government was prepared to " give.;' tho . necessary .legislative backing to.the metropolitan bodies. Tho attitude bf\ the conference to the betting question was that betting should ho confined to tho totalisator, which was a cash machine. Before the amendment of tho Act, the, Auckland Club did not allow any bookmakers; on the coarse, and so good was the effect that the Tattersall's Club hhd towindup. ... [ ■,• 'V ■•". Mr. P.'..Earl, a member of the committee pf the Auckland Club, said that (the gentlemen who waited upon itbo, Primp.Minister did not appear, to understand,' the attitude of the conference, nor did the' Prime .'Minister himself seem to be accurately..informed. The conference, and. the metropolitan racing authorities, vero not in any way responsible for theso unregistered meetings, and sorfarfrom offering them any enconragement the most rigorous measures available were taken to 'prevent them. As to tho power to deal with bookmakers fre. quenting the unregistered courses, he v was aware of no. legal authority which enabled registered racing clubs to take action. Tho clubs Were bound byjlaw to issue licenses to fit and proper persons) and it would in his opinion be impossible to make it a ground for refusing a license that the applicant had attended unregistered , meetings. Such, meetings were presumably lawful, and that 1 boing so the bookmaker had a right to f ply his calling thcro until the law said something to- tho contrary. Tho only remedy as far as he could see was to mako air meetings otherthan: those held under the authority of the; Baeing'.i. Conference iinlawful. '.; r .-' :1 ~.••;.' ;■'■■}■■ ' -j ~ ; ~