The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1927. A RIDICULOUS BAN.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10412, 20 October 1927, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED DAILY THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1927. A RIDICULOUS BAN.

The recent prosecution of u sporting journal at Wellington for having published the starting prices of horses taking part in races in Australia serves to emphasise still further the unfairness of this Dominion’s gaming Jaws. As the Magistrate pointed out, it is most certainly anomalous that some racing news which appears in overseas newspapers that freely circulate in this country cannot he printed in the Dominion’s own newspapers. Oil his part, however, the Magistrate had no option tut to carry out the law and, in consequence, as a bleach had been proved, a fine required to be inflicted. A like position arises, of course, in connection with - the prohibition of the publication of dividends in New Zealand. It is, as. s well-known, compulsory for those in charge of a totalisator to hoist the dividends after each race for public informtion. But publication of the figures outside a race-course is an offence. For all that, within an hour or two after a race meeting lias concluded in any centre, the amounts of the dividends can he obtained from bookmakers and their touts in every town from the North Cape to Bluff! The main cause for. complaint against the Government is its glaring inconsistency. . If it he wrong for newspapers to publish dividends, how is it that one of its own Departments, the Telegraph Department, : remains blind, to the fact that it is being constantly used as a vehicle to disseminate information on this banned subject? The further point requires tl> be stressed that the present Government,- like its predecessors,- approves of gambling on horse racing, so long as it is confined to racecourses. As a matter of fact, it gladly accepts as much revenue ns may be forthcoming from, the taxation that -it on “tote” investments. It excuses its legalisation of the totalisator on the ground that the “tote” affords bettors a chanctj •to have a little (or a big) . “punt” without having to associate with the bookmaking; class. But, for all that, hookmaking continues, to flourish from one eiid of the Dominion to the other! Whether this session will witness any reforms in "tho gaming law time alone will tell. The law should certainly ho amended to giyo newspapers, at least, as much latitude as is given to’ racing clubs in the matter of the publication of the • dividends. That - the bail to which we have been referring lias not reduced gambling is. ■ we think, abundantly plain.