CLYDEBANK BETTING

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 April 1925, Page 8

CLYDEBANK BETTING

o XsTONISHING STATEMENTS. P Statistics of the amount of money e spent in amusement, drinking and betting in Clydebank were'given at a sitting. of the Rents Commission in. Gias., 6 gow last month. n Mr David Paterson, house factor, wljp declared that there ’was ;no real; case i of hardship in Clydebank, estimated i that twice the amount of the hous- ■| ing rental was spent in drink, cinemas, ’• and betting yearly. He gave figures which showed that £140,000 per annum was taken by 27 Clydebank public houses. Eight cinemas probably drew t _ £lOOO per week, and he allowed £3OO e for football? He had been told by. a recognised bookmaker that the monOy spent in betting was £3OOO per week, L and £7OOO when the racing was good. 11 The total was £370,000. per year under •' these' heads, compared with the hous-

ing rental of £185,000. The witness was closely questioned by Mr Bailie Dollan, who said it was a serious thing for a witness to come into a public inquiry and make a statement of that kind. He thought <the whole thing was fantastic, and asked witness if he was serious in suggesting that £4O per family per. annum was the average spending capacity under these heads in Clydebank. Witness : Well, if you look at the amount of arrears of rent there is no reason why they should not spend that.