BOOKMAKERS' KNELL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 858, 2 July 1910, Page 6

BOOKMAKERS' KNELL.

ABOLITION URGED. PROTEST OF .ANTI-CAMBLINC LEAGUE. DEPUTATION 'ARRANGED. A meeting, convened by tho Wolliugfcon Anti-Gambling League, was held in tho Chamber of Commerce Hall last evening for the purpose of considering tho; best means of urging upon tho Government the; desirability of immediately ' repealing the bookmakers' section of . the Gaming Act, 1908. Mr. J. G. W. Aitken presided. Apologies were received from tho Bishop of "Wellington, the Rev; Macrlonald Aspland, Mr. J. P. Firth, Adjutant Guim, and others, all of whom expressed sympathy with the movement and -promised hearty' support. ' The' chairman said that tho AntiGambling League had long been desirous of,getting some alteration made in the law, which at present allowed for the licensing of bookmakers. The other day Mr. Justice Chapman, dealing with a; case in Auckland, had referred to the matter. When a judge of the.Supremo'Court was forced to use such language, 'as had been used, ho (the ;chairman) w£s satisfied that citizens were hot fully awaro of what was going on: If they wore, the outcome would be that this .clause legalising bookmakers would be deleted from - the Statute-book. (Applause.)

History of the Movement. Tho Rev: J: J. North, secretary of *110 Ann-Gamoling League, said that ■the movement against gambling was commenced; actively in 1907, in all the 'Australian States, and legislation was introduced :rith a view to the restriction of the: evil. A deputation had .waited' upon \ the Prime Minister, who used dramatic figures- to express his senso of the tremendous hold which gambling had in the city. The Prime Minister then held himself up as a reformer, Who desired to confine gambling to the racecourse. He introduced a Bill, which, ,in its original form, was a very mild measure. Regarding Clause . 34, which legalised bookmakers, Sir Joseph Ward had been very stiff. He had told the . House that if Clause 34 was not passed the whole Bill ,would go by the board. Now, those connected' with the movement were' convinced that it .would have been better to let the Bill go_ by the board. (Applause.) Even with that clause remaining, the voting had been •even—2.B . for, 27 against.:.: .

Eyes upon, the Prime Minister. Tattersalis Club had recently been launched in the city, and the Hons. J. A. Millar and J. Carroll had attended tho opening function. -It remained to he seen .whether - the Prime Minister was going to stand by his two colleagues, or whether he was going to take notice of the country's outcry, of the judge's words, and. of the newspapers' counsels. There had; been many instances of embezzlement, in Wellington and in other parts, caused directly by gambling. Racing ..clubs were not now as hostile to bookmakers as: formerly, and some prominent members of the turf abjured the totalisator.... and betted with the bookmakers. la Auckland betting had increased enormously.

"The Bookmaker is: a Menace." . Mr. ■ J.. Hutchison moved the follow' ; ing resolution:— 'That this meeting of .Wellington citizens .records its emphatic pro-i-est against the license granted by Parliament to the bookmaker. The , ; r evidence 'of the: late Commissioner

■ of Police, of judges, and of tho press, of the whole Dominion contours with bur belief that the bookmaker'is a menace to tho welfare of the people, and that his immedi- : ate suppression, both on the course and in the towns, is a first duty of • Parliament now assembled'.

The mover said that' the time for action liad come, and lie was sure that if a-vote of the people of New Zealand were taken both, the totalisator and the bookmaker would go. (Applause.) Mr. R; H. Webb . seconded the motion, remarking' that Mr. Justice Chapman's'words greatly assisted the movement. ' v

A Bookmaker's Suggestion. Mr. Davids said that-Mr. North had been wrong'in a number : of his facts"; As for ' Tattersalls .Glub, it .- had boon open for twelve months, and only about thirty people ,had visited tbf premises. There wore doubtless many bookmakers breaking'the'law in 'Willis.Street, and the. police should do their duty. Mr. R. A. Atkinson: Will the gentleman give us his name and: address ? Mr. Davids: Yes. •• Bookmaker. (Laughter.) And the first bet . I had was at.the Baptist Church in Vogel Street, -Dunedin —Mr. North's church. Air. J. M. Ilott suggested . that \ a larger meeting should be called, say, in the Concert Chamber, before a deputation "waited on; the Government.

, i Mr. Newman's Bill. Mr. Newman, M.P., doscribed the Bill which lie had introduced into Parliament this session for the abolition; of bookmakers. He was not seeking to make any party capital out of his. Bill, and he felt' that even a . private member, introducing such a Bill, h£d reason to expect success with it, if public opinion was with him. Since he had asked leavo to introduce tho Bill (which proposed "that no moro- bookmakers' licenses should be issued) hehad received numerous 'sympathetic messages. (Applause.) He urged that no compromise should be permitted, for compromise .was the curse of politics. He would require earnest support in the matter, and he hoped that when the Bill came up in the House oil July 13 public feeling would be favourable to the proposed repeal of tbo objectionable clause. ■

Support From The Church. An Anglican clergyman said that tho Church of England-people wero going to support tho proposal, for two chief reasons. First, gambling brought misery, to many people, and, second, it established a class of men who did not work for the community, but who lived on. the earnings of their fellows. Mr.-Wright Weighs up the House.

Mr. R.. A. Wright, M.P., expressed concurrence with the proposal mado by jUt. Ilott that a much laTger meeting should be held. 'If a meeting were called for a week bonce, it would be possible to approach tlio Government with representations of much greater weight. He understood that an overwhelming majority of the House were against the bookmaker, who, however,. had many friends in high places, but ho did not think that the present House would abolish the totalisator. . There was no chance of. that, ho said. There was danger to' the movement in any attempt that might be made to join'in the issue both the totalisator and the bookmaker. It was necessary to take one step at a time. At present tlio racing chibs were against the bookmakers, and later on, when the bookmakers had been disposed of, they themselves would assist in the movement against the totalisator. Ho recommended that a larger meeting should be held before any representations were mado to the Government.

Mr. Hutchison considered that tho present meeting was sufficiently largo and representative to form tho nucleus of a big deputation. (Applause.)

Th© chairman said that ho had no doubt that, they would have a numerous following in any deputation tliat might bo decided on.

Tlio Hon. C. ,M. Luke, M.L.C., remarked that when tho last Bill was before the House it~wa-s -hoped that it would accomplish a great- deal. For that reason ho Jiad voted for the measure, in spite of the fact that Clatiso 34 was included. He was confident- that if it came to a- question of sacrificing .both the bookmaker and the .totalisator, the majority of the people ,iyero determined that both should go. (Applause.) Mrs. Atkinson was opposed to an adjournment of the proceedings. A leading city. merchant had informed her that ho had never met tho. case of a young man, .who took money from his employer's till,' that was not directly traceable to gambling. There was a grave..danger in the tendency on the part of '.young'"' women" to -iaidulgo ingambling. " V.

Effect of Totalisator. Mr. T. E. Taylor, M.P., said that ho was entirely in sympathy . with tho movement; ."It'the Christian community could put one-half of tljfe zeal into this reform that they deviated to an. evangelical mission, the "totalisator would go, along witli tho 'bookniafter. '(Applause.) Ho could see w>excuse for singling out the (Applause.) It would .be far':; better, in his opinion, to leave the bookmaker and abolish tho totalisator. The; totalisator had quadrupled the number who indulged in betting, and had'.'made betting an-easy thing for juveniles.

Proposal by "Man In thßj>treet. ,> Ail amendment was proposed— That this meeting is of opinion, ihat Parliariient shouldabolish gambling by making hotting with either the totaiisa:ft>'r'*or''3>hc bookmaker- illegal. The speaker said that he represented the mail in the street, who would join in tho movement if efforts were directed against both the bookmaker and the totalisator. Racing clubs, -they would find,i were willing ,to - fight tooth and nail- against- tho bookmakers, and they would later on fight., just as strongly to retain: tho.. I totalisator. : Mr. North'said that Sir Joseph Ward had promised to submit the totalisatoT to. a referendum of the people. The bookmaker, did .not- deserve a referendum, and Parliament, which had placed him'upon the people, ought to remove him. .'

Mr. Wright, M.P., ""supported the amendment, -saying that if too much were attempted nothing would bo obtained. Men might say: Why not go for land gamblers, and why not include church lotteries?. It.was essential that the movement should be proceeded with in stages. The House was' now prepared to. '-knock out" the bookmakers, out, as far -as ho could . judge, only about twelve or fifteen members would vote against the totalisator. Mr. Newman said that, the movement would be killed if the promoters proceeded .on the line suggested by the bookmaker .who had spoken—that a blow should be struck at both, tho totalisator and the bookmaker. It would bo giving the bookmaker a long life to tangle lip oil one paper the vote on the totalisator and the bookmaker. It waß possible, to have a record deputation; perhaps the Town Hall could be engaged, and then Sir Joseph Ward might, be, asked to receive them, there.

Other Resolutions. Mr. P. C. Freeth said he was sorry' that-the question of mixed issues' had been raised. The press had been unanimous in expressing the opinion of the community that bookmakers should be abolished. The amendment was lost, and Mr. Davids was tho only voter against the motion. .. .' "Mr. Freetli then moved:. . .That this meeting undertakes .to jorganise a ;deputation tive of the entire . Dominion to press upon the Primo Minister and Parliament tho necessity for at once repealing Clause 34 of the Gaming Act, with a view to revoking the , licenses granted to bookmakers. . '. Mr. H: N. Holmes seconded the" motion, which was carried. • On the motion of Mr. A. 11. Atkinson it was also resolved ir That it be an instruction to the deputation to remind tJio Prime Minister of his promise that the license of the totalisator will be submitted to a ..referendum vote, and to urge, that the/neccssary pro- ' vision for the purpose be included . in the Gaming and Lotteries Amendment Bill, which is promised in the Governor's Speech. This concluded the', business of tho meeting. ' ' .