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Evening Star, Issue 14523, 26 November 1910, Page 6

Tirr; honors of the wearisome struggle over the Gaming Bill are nnThe Gaming questionably with the Bill. Legislative Council, who have improved it almost os much as did the Special Committee cot up to consider it. Although fierce criticism has been levelled against the AttorneyGeneral, whoso bona ficlcs have been most ungenerously assailed, wo have no hesitation Sn saying that Hie Legislature owes mutli (and the country still more) to the learned gentleman who brought all Ids skill and experience as a'parliamentary draughtsman to bear on a very 'difficult task, interpreting and strengthening the imperfectly expressed and inconsistent views of the members o? the popular branch, with the result that tho measure has beer* greatly improved. Despite armchair opinions to the contrary, our views are that tho cordon around the bookmaker has been so tightened that he will soon eeaoo to draw the breath of sustenance in places where, in tho past, he was wont to batten and fatten at the expense of the unwary and the supremely foolish. At the end of the next three or four years, if tho new law is honestly enforced, as we have even’ right to expect it shall he, that almost universally acknowledged “ undesirable ” who ‘‘captured” the Legislature in 1907, to the shamo of the Dominion, and who ever sines its passing lias infested the sidewalks of all our principal towns, will be as extinct as the moa; and if that expected consummation is realised the result will be due in no small degree to tho closeness of the mesh designed by tho Attorney-General. Yesterday’s debate was a signal avoidance of tho real issue, which is how best to carry out tho unmistakable mandate of the country that there shall be a substantial reduction of the gambling evil, which, through the medium of the racecourse and the totalisator, is sapping the very vitals of tho community. Instead of addressing themselves to that important question, lion, members “ went for ” tho Legislative Council in right good fashion, charging that body with usuqring the functions of tho representative Chamber and with flouting tho opinions* of the latter. If the constitutional aspect hulked largely, the personal element was at one time painfully in evidence. The spectacle of tho Prime Minister lecturing his colleague of Hallways for obtruding his personal views (not for tho first time, either) into the discussion was not edifying, it was reminiscent of the events of ISO 9, when the member for Mastnrtou lest his Ministerial status through venturing to force his individual opinions on an unsympathetic House. "Will history repeat itself in that regard? Vv'e trust not, but the member for Dunedin West must bo careful how ho offends the proprieties, for it is a well-understood axiom of executive government that, on a question of social rpform, to tho carrying of which tho Head of the Government has committed himself, individual Ministers must subordinate lh n ir individual views thereon to the declared policy of (iie Cabinet. The Prime Minister has more than once passed his word that the unfortunate legislation of 1907 shall be revoked, and the due fulfilment of that pledge will only bo achieved by placing this Bill on tho Statute Book in its present form. Not that we arc pleased altogether with some of its provisions; on the contrary, wo have never wavered in our belief that, concurrent with tho pissing out of (Ire bookmaker, there must bo an appreciable reduction of the volume of racing iit this Dominion, and there must also be a diminution of the influence of tiro big racing dribs it the smaller ones hope to flourish. With nuchumility wo put forward a scheme which racing men all over tho Dominion declared contained the germs of a workable. plan for securing the threefold result indicated above, but it did not find favor in the eyes of the parliamentarians. We shall not traverse that ground again, but. there are a few facts that, should sink deeply into the public mind. The first factor is that tho metropolitan clubs have steadily enriched themselves at the expense of their smaller and weaker brethren. In 1894, when Sir Robert Stout’s Gaming Act was passed, the four metropolitan clubs—Auckland, AVellington, Canterbury, and Dunedin —held twenty permits between them, and raced on tliirty-eight days. 'This year these four clubs still hold their score of permits, bub tho racing days have been extended from thirty-eight to fifty-one. It is to the credit of the Dunedin Jockey Club that they are tho only metropolitan club who, during these sixteen years, have not added to their racing days. Stated in another way, tho position is this:—ln 1894 Auckland, with five permits, raced on nine t days; in 1910, with four permits, raced on thirteen days; an increase of four days on 1894. Wellington, with three permits, raced on six days • in 1910, with four permits, it raced on ten days ; increase, four days on 1894. Christchurch, with four permits, raced on eight days; in 1910, with four permits, it raced

on eleven days; increase, three days on 1894. Dunet[in, with four permits, raced on nine days; to-day it has its four permits, and races but on nine days. Comment is needless. i

Now, we have always maintained that in tho interests of pure sport as distinguished from screwing everything possible out of tho macltino it was advisable to bring our racing into lino with that in voguo in Australia and elsewhere, where six events per diem are found sufficient for the public taste. But some of tho pillars of tho Racing Conference had the temerity to reply that tho greater number of events not only helped but were desired tho country clubs. That is contrary to fact, because a good proportion of tho smaller clubs are quite content with racing seven events per diem.

Wo eay that tho majority of the House did tho right thing last night in following the lead of tho Prime Minister mid taking the Bill with such blemishes as it may con. tain rather than risk its loss in the dying hours of tho session. If Sir Joseph could have been persuaded to have taken courage in both hands and have boldly asked the House to reduce tho volume of racing in tho Dominion by at least one-third instead of one-sixth, ho would have shown tho measure of constructive statesmanship that tho circumstance required. Subject us ho was to great pressure from without, as well ns from within, ho was not able to rise to tho occasion ; but, all tho same, ho has placed in the bands of his proposed Commission, tho personnel of which will supply tho key lo the success or otherwise of the scheme, a weapon which may yet bo Ixiomerang-liko in its operation. The big racing clubs did not give tho Prime Minister the support or co-operation lie was entitled lo get from them, and if the Bill fails to achieve its purpose those dubs will bo faced with tho possibility of encountering an agitation for the abolition of tho totalisator as well as of tho bookmaker.