S.P. BETTING

Grey River Argus, 19 May 1938, Page 3

S.P. BETTING

N.S.W. Acts TO WIPE IT OUT. SYDNEY, May 15. The Stale Cabinet yesterday appointed a sub-committee of Ministers to frame legislation designed to wipe out S.P. betting. Curtailment of broadcast descriptions of races and more severe penalties, including gaol, for off-the-course bettors, are proposed. I An amendment to the Gaming and Betting Act will probably be submit-' ted to Parliament in the coming session. !

It is expected that the Government will follow closely the recent Queensland legislation. I Broadcasting of descriptions of races will not be banned altogether, 1 but it is expected that, as in Queens-; land, a race commentator will not be allowed to broadcast information concerning a race before the field isl on its wav.

Under the Queensland Act, no information regarding jockeys, scratchings or post positions can he given over the air, and a commentator cannot even mention the name of a torse engaged in an event until the ucq actually commences. It is probable, also, that a can will be placed on the broadcasting of betting prices until after the fixture has concluded. LESS COST TO RACEGOERS. In favour of the restrictions, the Government argues that legislation, passed last year materially lessened the cost of racegoing to patrons, and also provided for more liberal payments on the totalisator because of the reduction in the totalisator tax. These concessions, the Government claims, considerably reduced the amount of taxation received from racing, and the only manner in which the Treasury can be recouped is by forcing stay-at-home punters on to the courses.

The Minister of Justice, Mr Martin, some time ago visited Queensland and studied the effect of the Act in that State, and reported favourably upon its operation on his return to Sydney. In view of the then approaching election and the vigorous opposition on the part of Ministerial Party members holding doubtful seats, however, the matter was shelved. As the legislation will definitely be unpopular with a large section of the community, the reason for the Government’s haste to bring- down the bill is aoparent.

Off-the-course punters will have had three years in which to forget before the Government has again to face the electors. The committee, which is considering ways and means of effecting the change-over from proprietary to non-proprietary control of racing, will shortly submit a report to Cabinet. POLICE ACTION. AGAINST HOTELS. An unprecedented step was taken in the Supreme Court yesterday as

part of the Government’s crusade against S.P. betting. I Three large hotels were declared byj Mr Justice Maxwell to be common gaming houses, on the application of the police.

They were The King’s Head Hotel, Park and Elizabeth Sts., City; North British Hotel, Loftus St., City; and the Burwood Hotel, Burwood Rd. 1 Burwood.

The order gives any member of the' police force power to arrest without] warrant any person found in, entering, or leaving the hotels named, I

Similar orders will be sought against other hotels w'here the police 1 suspect large-scale s.p. operations. I Unless an arrested person can! prove on being taken before a. Magistrate that he was on the pre-' misos for a lawful purpose, he is! liable to imprisonment, under Section 25 of the Gaming and Betting Act, for a term not exceeding six months. Mr Justice Maxwell was informed yesterday that Ernest Mclntosh was the occupier, and Messrs. Tooth and, Co. Ltd., owners of the King’s Head Hotel.

Reginald G. Rickard was named as the occupier and Thomas Donovan and Alfred G. Donovan owners of the North British Hotel. William Clarke was named as occupier and owner of the Burwood Hotel. POLICE TELL OF WARNINGS. Before the applications were made, police state, they had warned the licensees that drastic action would be taken unless the police became satisfied that s.p. betting was not being carried on. Affidavits made by Inspector William John Keefe and other police officers were read to the Judge. These affidavits contained allegations that s.p. betting was being conducted on the premises of the hotels named. I It was alleged that pencilling had! been seen, monev had changed hands,j constables had made bets, and cer-| tain telephone conversations had, been heard. HOTELS TO APPEAL. Appeals against the order will be lodged immediately by principals of the three hotels. What legal form these appeals will take will be decided this morning atj a conference between the licensees, and their counsel. - | It is open to the licensees to bring, evidence Io show that S.P. betting is ( not taking place on their premises j Upon such proof being furnished to 1 him, a judge had power to rescind, the declaration. I It is within the power of the Full. Court to grant an order, if it deems fit, prohibiting the enforcement of the declaration. t “Under this declaration the onus rests upon a citizen found in an ho-j tel to prove that he is there for the; purpose of having a drink, and noti for the purpose of having a bet.

Licensees of the other hotels are] also taking legal advice. Section 21 of the Act provides that, “on the affidavit of a superintendent,! inspector, or sub-inspector of police, showing reasonable ground for suspecting that any house, office, room, or other place is used for betting, nnv judge of the Supreme Court may declare such place to be a common gaming house, 1 ’ ,

The police have power to have a declaration lifted, conditionally upon them furnishing proof to a judge that the premises are not in fact being used in contravention of the Gaming and Betting Act. In Ministerial and police circles last night it was expected that yesterday’s proceedings would rouse publicans into taking more energetic steps to supress s.p. betting on licensed premises.

Several barristers last night voiced the opinion that even if many hotels were declared common gaming houses the volume of S.P. betting would not be lessened.

“Quite recently in South Australia they had a similar law.” said a K.C. “The Police Commissioner was given power to order the immediate closing of an hotel in which S.P. betting was suspected. “In Port Adelaide, police actually ordered two hotels to close on a certain race day, and similar action was taken in other parts of the States.

“But S.P. continued to flourish and finally the Butler Government was forced to introduce betting shops in order to strike an effective blow at betting in hotels.”