THE ETHICS OF ARRESTING BOOKMAKERS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1648, 15 January 1913, Page 8

THE ETHICS OF ARRESTING BOOKMAKERS.

Sir,—l was greatly amused to read in your issiio to-day a letter from Mr. M. Myers on' tho ethics of'arrest'of'persons suspected of.a crime. /If tho publio aro not grateful to Mr.'Myers for'his gratuitous advice; tho "bookies" should 1 bb. It is not often .wo bear of such-self-abnega-tion by a member of tho: legal brigade giving "an opinion" without tho: equivalent of 6s. Bd. or more. Seriously, though, I think Mr. Myers's letter is about_as excellent an' example of special pleading as I havo ever road. No doubt'Slr. Myers's heart bled when ho heard a client had been arrested on-warrant-for betting, and had not been proceeded- against by summons. If Mr. Myers seriously thought so he must havo had his.tqnguo in his check or was winking ono eye;- Ho knows, as tho public know, it is quito InwfuLfpr a Justice of the Penco'to'issue a warrant for the arrest of a bookmaker siispsctcd of betting in a public place, which is an offence— becauso it is'not usual that does not.make it illegal. .Mr. Myers, possessed as ho is with legal' accuracy, must surely bo trying to pull tho public's leg when ho draws a parallel between tho calling of a bookio and 'a carpet-beater, or other person charged with a summary offence. The suggestion is preposterous. Who aro these "bookies" who prastiso an illegal calling, and' by their conduct and dealings, as living vampires, suck tho lifo blood out of many, of our young people who aro brainless enough to desiro to get somothiug for nothing, nild end gonorally by losing all they possess, and often get ponal servitude—who, I ask, aro theso "bookies" ? Many of them aro exbutcher boys, cx-traragunrds, ex-hrcmen off steamers, all of whom aro too lazy to do hard work, and find it'easier and ; more prosperous to becomo "bookies." To these pcoplo may, Vith truth,-bo'added speolcrs, burglars, and roustabouts'. I am creditably informed that eomo of the toto bettors in this Dominion hove done penal servitude for serious offences, and sonio aro now passing under other'names than the ones they wero convicted under. Is it for such as theso that tho police should approach them with kid gloves, and let these artful people know what they aro after? No, you must'attack them by some person or persons who have , shrewder brains than they have./ Al , credit to Detective Cassells and his banc ; of workers for what they have donp and | aro doing. Tho regret is that-some or_

tho well-known professional punters,'who hang around tlie front doom of hotels and associate with these, "bookies" and encourage them, are not arrested also. The lam*'requires to be. altered to enable this to bo done. Talk about the conscience of n "bookie" and tho ■ indignity of arresting them by warrant. These nicii, who., lay you two to one/or level money bar sixteen in afield of twenty, want tho lot, and generally get it. How often have I seen them in "other States, say,'at Flemington or Raiulwick, almost cry wheii a level-money' favourite got homo. men generally win iiiuciy-nine times out of' every hundred, but-tlrey are not content at that—they want to expect to win a hundred times, out of a hundred tries. Whero does the .public come "in? No; the proper course, is to show them , no niei-cy—take every advantage' of them as they do of the public, and wipe them out of existence,. if possible.. Go ahead, Mr. Cassells, ' proceed—don't be downhearted, you have the public with you; Don't mind what strictures may bo parsed oh you by Bench or Bar: keep the one object in. view—to rid oiir public streets and roadways clear ;of the', seductive., -human leeches, kno\vn..as "bookies'-' and "tote bettors." Mr.' Ncavo's sensible letter in your issuo of to-day is so absolutely convincing, clear-sighted, cogent, and sound in argument that it must commend itself to all right-minded peopk. He deserves the . thanks'of tho public for placing the facts so clearly and forcibly and in so concise'a manner, and, like Mr. Myers, giving his opinion.. gratuitously — laui.efc., !/ ::'. ii :,;-.; CITIZBN ;: