The Bookmaker.

Feilding Star, Volume IV, Issue 1049, 2 December 1909, Page 2

The Bookmaker.

In the making of bookies there has never been such a producer as the present Governments It has been claimed, on his behalf that Sir Joseph Ward is no friend of gambling generally or of the bookmaker in particular. If that is so — and we would like to believe that it is so—he should hurry f.p and convince the weHwishers of the Dominion fay legislating the bookie out of existence. The latter is the evil genius of the times in which we live, and the thing that hurts the clean living, honestly disposed section of the community is that he has been made respectable by Act of Parliament. What a sardonic reflection "it is upon our boasted civilisation that we, the people of a thoroughly democratic, one-man-one--ote land, liave legalised that most blatant of bounders, the bookie. This Public Nuisance, who is the Tempter of the Tanner and the Tenner, was vividly illustrated this week at the

Fe.ir.ding Jockey Club's meeting, where he was well patronised by men, women, and minors. With his capacious bags and his ample- pockets jingling with much cash, he pleaded that times were not too good ! Would tl the best people" in bookmaking circles put up ;C2O 10s per day and the second best hand out £10 10s per day for the privilege of exercising their voice on the Keilding lawns if there was nothing in it? Not much. The strange thing is the silence of the people who used to be so clamorous for the abolition of the totalisator. We have the double evil— and yet nothing is being cried from the roof of the reformer. We cannot understand why the licensing of the bookie should have stopped the agitation against gambling on races. The only explanation offering is that the rv. formor has been paralysed out of action in .simple astonishment at Parliament legalising the bookmaker. ' Meanwhile, horse racing is going to the dogs as well as to the book- ! m;iker; and as the latter get on by i getting more money out of the clubs and the public they can rig the races to suit their books. Who i.s to cliock ! them:-' For long enough suspicious glances have been cast at the jockeys, who are still accused of running ! rings and combines, against which 1 neither owners nor public have a hope I to compete. They must both pay up ! and look pleasant, lor the jockey is ' the real owner of the horse whilst the race is on. Pile dishonest riding : on top <>f corrupt bookmaking, and 1 we have the absolute degeneracy of . the sport of kings. And the corrupt- ' ! ing inlliieme is legalised by a f»o---i verunient which has a majority big I enough to work good or ovil for the country. It was claimed that the 1 object in legalising the penciller was, liy confining him to the racecourse, to "lessen the gambling evil. But has it? No one who has any knowledge of sport in city, town, or country will admit anything but that the ' evil is greater than ever. A quantity of the bookie stays at home, and does as good business in his haunts a hundred miles from the racecourse atj -toto odds'" as does the man who I pays for the privilege of yelling the I ndds on the lawn. The police know I this — the Premier should know it : , the public knows it. sees the- (Jam- ■ bling Evil stalking in tlm main streets I with its best clothes on, and tlie C!o- --| vernment goes along blindly, or wearI ing coloured glasses. The position j would 1)0 absurd were it not so griev- ! oils and scandalous. Many people are ! crying out for immediate attention to 1 defence matters, so that we shall be , protected against the outside foe : but in ihe bookie and the gambling evil New Zealand has foes within that are ! sapping the life out of our national | independence and habits of thrift. It is to be hoped the Premier Avill rise to the occasion, and that, when be brings down his promised amending i Bill to legislate galloway meetings out ot existence, lie will also move the toi-il abolition of the bookie.