GAMING LAW.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1208, 17 August 1911, Page 6

GAMING LAW.

THE COMMISSION'S WORK. FATE OF COUNTRY CLUBS. DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT. The work recently carried out by tho Racing Commission in reducing the number of racing days in New Zealand underwent a heavy fire of criticism in Parliament last evening, in the disenssibn upon the Gaining Amendment Bill, introduced by Mr. W. T. Jennings, tho member for Taumamnui. Mr. 'Jennings, in moving the second .reading of the Bill, said he did not introduce this Bill as n party measure, and did not wish to make, any violent attack on the Racing Commission. . No doubt that body had been set a certain task, uud had performed it as well as it could. Hut tho treatment of country clubs had given general dissatisfaction' throughout the country, and the same remark applied' to the allocation of permits. The Bill presented an appeal to tho justice and mercy of the House, against the injustice that had been perpetrated on tho clubs named in the schedule. As an instance of what had been done, Mr. Jennings mentioned that a permit had been taken away from tho Rangitikei Club and given to the Marton Club, which already had a permit. The latter club now had four days' racing. The object in brdngiug down the Bill of last year had been defeated. Reducod with Regret. Mr. Jennings read extracts from the report of the Racing Commissioners, to the effect that they fulfilled the duties imposed upon them with regret, and that they were unanimous in the opinion that some measure of redistribution wouM have been preferable. They had also said that tho days of racing were not excessive, considering the scattered population. Tho reduction of days had been so carried out that the 43 metropolitan racing clubs and 11 trotting clubs had lost only four days' racing, while 137 country tlubs had been robbed of 30 days, and no fewer than 17 of them had been wiped out altogether. Many of' the clubs that had. been removed had undertaken very great liabilities. It had never been a principle of the House during his membership that any reform should be brought about at great cost to individuals. Was it' right that these . 10 clubs which had f nlhued their obligations and given satisfaction to all concerned ami provided people with a day's outing and harmless amusement should lie wiped out? The effect had been to bring about an increase of gambling in the towns. Permits had been allotted for the present season. It would perhaps bo .unwise to alter this. Ho would suggest tHat tho power of allotting permits should not 1» left in the hands of the Raring Conference. The Minister for Internal Affairs should keep, say, a dozen permits in hand, so that, on gcod reasons being shown, such as an increase of population, a permit might bo granted. At present, frbai Hamilton East to Marton; a distance of over 100 miles, there was only one totalisator permit. "Undoubtedly Necessary." Mr. G. W. Forbes (Hurunui) said bo very much regretted the necessity for tho introduction of this Bill. Tho necessity for tho Bill of last session was brought about by the undue amount of gambling that was going on throughout the country. The report of the Racing Commission had not been based upon this consideration, and they had reduced gambling very slightly. The Commission had not followed out the wish of the House and of the country, that gambling should lie minimised. The Bill undoubtedly was necessary, for country clubs had been reduced, though no justification for their reduction existed. Mr. Forbes maintained that country clubs provided the purest sport. It had been understood whoa tho Commission was set up that consideration would lx> shown to tho country clubs, but as a fact almost the whole weight of the reform bad fallen.on their shoulders. Sport had been reduced, but gambling bad not. The Bill before the House had been introduced with a view to enabling the clubs concerned to adjust their finances, and this was uecessary. He would like to see tho whole thing come up again for review.. In hview, tho 230 days allowed were sufficient but the reorganisation had not boon fairly and justly carried out. The Commissioners had stated, in reference to tho Kaikoura Racing Club, that no interest hao been displayed by its officers, and no reply had been made to repeated communications from the Commissioners. I his statement, he was informed, in a letter from, the secretary of-the club was absolutely contrary to fact. Ihe club had not received any communication, from the commissioners. An Incorrect Diagnosis: Mr. W. H. Field (Otaki) said tho Government and Parliament had certainly bEonied to-believe last vear that a large majority m the Dominion desired to sea a sweeping reduction of racing.- Sir.cc then he had conio to doubt whether the position had been diagnosed correctly. Tho Government could not be blamed for bringing down the Gaming Bill last year. Popular clamour at the time had left them no alternative. Tho confident? placed in tho Racing Commission had not been borne out by facts. This Bill was a consequence. Metropolitan Clubs had lost four days and country clubs had lost all the rest. He considered that an absolute mandate had been laid on the commission last year to spare all clubs having only one day's racing. It could scarcely havo been held that six days' racing over tho clossly-populated country between Wellington and Palmerston North was too much. Yet the commission had reduced th© days to four by wiping out tho Horowhenua Racing Club. Mr. Wright's Views., , Mr. B, A. Wright (Wellington South) joined other members in regretting for introducing such a measure. The member for Taumarunui had made out a good case from his own point of view, but his measure simply provided as it stood that the clubs nioutionod in the schedule .would get permits for ail time. Mr. Jciuiings had said that the country race meetings were simply picnics. Why, then, was tlio totalisator necessary. Tlie lion, gentleman had said that . this Bill involved an increase of only fourteen days, but ho would venture" to assert that when the Bill was in committeo every member who had a club in his district would move for further additions, until the point had been reached from which a'start had been made. The Bill setting up the Commission had been the result of excessive gambling, which had led the House to a determination to in some way .reduce the number of totalisa-tor-permits. It was unfortunately true that numbers of clubs had entered into large financial obligations, and he, for one, would bo quite ready to support giving them an extension of time. But some limit should be set. If this Bill were put upon the Statute Book it would never he taken off. The lion, member for Otaki had discovered that public opinion did not set so strongly in favour of reduction of racing as he had thought and inferred from this that the HoW should now reverse its decision. If the House did this it would stultify itself In his opinion the Commission had carried out a difficult task as well as posA Possible Compromise. Was there any compromise? Would members simply be content to add the*e fourteen days and then have a redi«tri bution, and take them olf somewhero olso?' Mr. Jennings: "Yes." Mr. Wright said that would not be so bad, but it would bo better to have a comprehensive redistribution than to tinker with this matter, and perhaps undo all that had been done. Mr. J. Colvin (Buller) said tho commission had arrived at Westport in the dark, left next morning, and then brought in tho unfavourable report that had been mentioned by Mr. Wright. The commission did not carry out their duties in a fair and equitable spirit. Next year Ji'e hoped tho llousb would tackle the question in a different way. The commission had not considered liabilities at all. Ho cited various instances of the commission's unfairness. He supported tho Bill Mr. W. D. S. Macdonald (llav of I Plenty) also expressed his disappointment' with the work of the commission.' Thev had done grave injustice- in his district. Ln some places they took awaj . a' day'J

racing, aud tlion Tccommended improvements in the course! Tim commission liinl treated Opotiki with stunt courtesy, and had not even deigned to reply to nno of their communications. The object of )lie Gaming Kill of last, session with 0.1 the abolition of Iho bookmaker, and (2) (he reduction of racing in Iho large centres. This had not been tho result of the commission's report. Neither Spirit Nor Intent. Mr. E. H. Taylor (Thames) said the Bill had been introduced as a protest against injustice. The Racing Commission hail carried out neither the spirit nor the' intent of last year's Act—(hear, hear). The whole system of racing as it was now carried on moved around the idea of gambling and the gambling machine. He predicted that at the end of this vear .£:i,nnil,i)on would have been put through- the totalisator—.£l per head of th? total imputation and a record for New Zealand. The country ciubs had a grand opportunity to show New Zealand how racing could be carried on without gambling. Ho was thoroughly in sympathy with tho protest the country clubs wore making. He venlirred to assert that this discussion meant the death-knell of iho totalisator.

Mr. G. V. Feurcc (Patea) approved of the attempt to abolish the bookmaker, but the Act of last session had not quite cleared them out. Tho excessive gambling was due to the Government, who a few years ago licensed bookmakers. Mr. Masscy: Hear, hear.

Mr. Fcareo added that he supported the Bill. In Ms opinion the .racing in the country was more like sport than it was in the "big towns. Tho country man know a good horse and went to see him run, but the city man did not know a good horse, and went to the racecourse to gamble. Ue suggested that no permit should extend over two days. That would stop gambling. ,

Mr. C. H. Poole (Auckland West) expressed his disapproval with the commission's report, but he did not approve the Bill, because it did not make proper provision for redistribution. The effort to Tncrease the permits' was opposed to the feeling of the House and of the country. Our best sports were being honeycombed by tatting and gambling, and they did not know where it would end. Mr. 11. Scott (Tuapeka) said he,would the Bill, because the commission did not do its work fairly. Mr. A. E. Glover (Auckland Central) maintained that/ instead of gambling having decreased in New Zealand it had gone up by leaps and bounds. Ho would support the Bill. Mr. Pearce stated, in personal explanation, that he considered that gambling had decreased owing to the withdrawal of the bookmakers. This more than outweighed tho increase in totalisator investments. "An Extraordinary Thing." Mr. H. Poland (Ohiuemuri) said it was an extraordinary thing that some country populations should be considered not entitled to any racing at all, while at tho same- time city populations were granted ten or twelve days' racing. Members opposed to the totalisator should remember that a great reduction had been made, and should not attempt to continue tho injustice that had been perpetrated. Mr. J. Stallworthy (Kaipara) said he would vote against tho Bill. Anything done to reduce gambling would be a step in the right direction. Mr. F. Mander (Marsden) said that although the commission had not carried out the intention of Parliament, that would not justify the Housa in going back on its decision of last year. Had it been suggested that these sixteen days should havo been taken from. the metropolitan clubs and added to tho country clubs he would have concurred, for he agreed that the country clubs had been unjustly treated.' Mr. O. M'Laren (Wellington Bast) considered that there was a great danger that in committee on this Bill one club after another might be added, until the work of last session had been undone. Speech by Mr. Buddo. Tho Hon. D. Buddo (Minister for Internal Affairs) said that the Houso last year had expressed a plain desire to reduce tho number of totalisator permits. But a clear instruction had been conveyed to the Commission that preference should be shown to clubs that had only one day's racing. The intention of Parliament had not been carried out. Undoubtedly there had been an allocation of permits that tended to strengthen betting in the largo centres-, where tho trouble existed already. The Bill before tho Houso provided for permits for 16 davs a year for all time. Tho provision they had liai. from the Commissioners undoubtedly tended to promote a close corporation of racing in the large centres. The Bill, in so far as it concerned country clubs, had his entire sympathy. But what was to be done about the Woodville Club, which would have beea if it I 1" '1 not had to provide for another .district? .He recognised the justice of doing something for the country clubs. He also recognised that a lot of work would have \r d^ n< V r u P°n this Bill in committee. Mr C. Hall (Waipara) said the House should reconstruct the Bill as it was before it was amended in another place. The Acting-Prime Minister's Views. Sir James Carroll (Acting-Primo Minis/V>stat^ 1 that ,n rc S ar(l to the finding of the Commission ho did not disagree with many of the utterances of previous speakers. Lndcr the Act of' last year tlie Government had to set up a Commission to control tho distribution of permits. At the end of twelve months the work of the Commission was to be reviewed. Tho twelve months had only just commenced, and he thought it only failthat the findings of (ho Commission should be given a fair trial More the House intervened. Mr. G. Witty (Riccartnn) said ho would support the second reading, but in committee he would oppose any increase in the number of permits. ;Mr. E. 11. Clark (Port Chalmers) considered that it was in the interests of racing, and only fair to country clubs, that this Bill should'go through. Mr. E. Newman (Mauawatu) supported the Bill. A grave injustice had been done to the Ringitikei Club, one of the oldest clubs in New Zealand.

Mr. It. W. Smith (Kangitikei) supported tho Bill. The feeling against tlie totalisator would Ixs greatly strengthened if tho Bill wore not passed. -Mr. F. M. B. Fisher (Wellington Central) said that after listening to the reasonable explanation of the country members ho was inclined to support the Bill. He gathered that the object of tho commission had been to promote centralisation. It seemed unfair that tho large centres should have' their already largo allowance increased, while- clubs that had only ono day had. it taken away. Mr. G. W. Russell (Avon) said the primary object of the Bill passed last year was to abolish the bookmaker, the sccqnd to reduce the days of racing. He resided in a metropolitan district, but recognised that that class of race-meeting that should not be "abolished was tho country meeting. It was for the House to attempt to repair the error that had been made by the commission.

Mr. AV. T. Jennings (Taumarunui), in replying, said he was going to discus; the ethics of gambling. The Bill had ' been brought in because a representative meeting of country clubs, held in Wellington about, five weeks tafore, had unanimously decided that the clubs scheduled in tno Bill should be reinstated. The Division. On a division the second reading was carried by 35 voles to IG. Following is tlie division list:--Ayes: Anderson, Brown, Buchanan Buddo, Buick, Clark. Colvin, Dillon, Dive! T. Duncan, Field, Fisher, Forbes, Fraser' Glover, Guthrie, Hall, Hardy, Berries! Hogan, Jennings, Lawry,, Macdonald' Masscy, Myers, Newman, Nosworthv' Okcy, Poland, Reed, Russell, Scott, Sccldon, Smith, Witty. Noes (1G): Arnold, Buxton, Carroll, Craigie, Fowlds, Graham, Hanun! M'Laren, Malcolm, Mander, Millar, Poole! Statlwortby, Taylor, G. M. Thomson' Wright.