NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 17, 14 October 1933, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

Two desirable objects from the Government’s viewpoint would lie served by the enactment of the Gaming Amendment Bill. Jhe State revenues would benefit by the diversion of much money from the bookmakers to the totalisator and a heavy blow would be struck at. the illegal business of bookmaking.- In the circumstances it is surprising that Cabinet has not adopted the reforms provided in the Bill as a Government measure. Fortunately there appears to be a good prospect that a reasonable chance will be given this session of thoroughly testing opinion in the House. The issues raised are important enough to warrant the fullest facilities being given for the Bill's passage. Racing holds the status of an important industry and needs the extra revenue that should follow on the enactment of the proposed reforms. The same applies to the State which in addition should support a measure that would virtually end the open scandal of bookmaking.

A cabled report concerning the “alarming number of accidents in Soviet power stations” and the inefficiency of the staff corresponds closely with a recent official report of the Commissar for Heavy Industry, M. Orghonikidse. Reporting on conditions at Magnitogorsk, the huge mining and metallurgical centre in the Urals, this official describes the abnormally high percentage of accidents, which threaten both human life and production. He gives as the cause the ignorance of the proletarian, who has no technical training or knowledge; the lack of control in the workshops; and, finally, the fact that machinery imported from capitalist countries is allowed to go to pieces. As for living conditions, the same official reports that “not a single tenement has been finished.” There are no drains, roofs leak, the workers’ barracks are filthy, the workers miserably fed, local officials cheat the hands by selling bread below weight, and, not surprisingly, labour output is low. The whole makes a sorry picture of Soviet “planning.”