TELEGRAPH [PRESS ASSOCIATION.] BETTING CARDS THROUGH THE POST OFFICE MINISTER DEPRECATES PRYING. CHRISTCHUROH, 9th Feb.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 34, 10 February 1913, Page 3

TELEGRAPH [PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

BETTING CARDS THROUGH THE POST OFFICE MINISTER DEPRECATES PRYING. CHRISTCHUROH, 9th Feb.

The Hon. R. Heaton .Rhodes, Postmas-ter-General, arrived from Wellington to-day and leaves by the first express to-morrow for Dunedin, Queenstown, and Mount Cook. In an interview, the Minister Teferred to an article in a local newspaper alleging that tho Postmaster General is aiding and abetting bookmakers in offering incitements to young men to gamble on horse races by delivering betting cards posted by bookmakers. Mt. Rhodes said that undoubtedly, by section 28 of the Post and Telegraph Act, 1908, the Post-master-General has tho right to prevent the delivery of correspondence to any perspn, either in New Zealand or abroad, who, he has reasonable grounds to suppose, is^ engaged in receiving any money as consideration for assurance expressed or implied to pay money on an event relating to a horse race. That is to say, shortly, ivho is engaged in betting. That betting cards are sent through the post is a matter of common knowledge to the Postmaster-General and his officers. If these betting cards are eeilt in open envelopes they are open to tho scrutiny of a postmaster who then may reasonably bo supposed to be at liberty to take action in regard to theifl as allowed and prescribed by section 30 of the Act, When the cards are enclosed in envelopes the Post Office is in a- different position. Apart from the fact that presumably^ a postal officer has 110 means of ascertaining the contents of a. closed postal packet, the Postmaster-General deprecates in his officers any system of prying or espionage in respect even of open packets, and officers are expected, and are accustomed, only to challenge such breaches of the law as their usual duty discharged in the usual way makes them cognisant of the- fact of an infraction of the provisions of the law and of coming under animadversion of section 28 of the Act this becomes a matter of legal proof generally on the part of persons outside the Poet Office. When such proof is offered the Postmaster-General, he is under the necessity of taking notice of it. In any case the matter has again to be referred to the Solicitor-General with the view of ascertaining what, if any/ responsibility the Postmaster-General has i to take further action.