“UNHOLY PACT”

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 October 1924, Page 5

“UNHOLY PACT”

CHURCH AND BOOKMAKERS. DESIRE TOTE’S ABOLITION. MINISTER’S ASSERTIONS. (By Telegraph.—Special to Star). WELLINGTON, Oct. 8. Have the bookmakers a pull on the Labour Party Y n This question was raised by statements made in the House to-night during the second reading of the debate on the Gaming Amendment Bill. Mr Hockley declared that the opposition of the Labour Party, past and present, to the Bill was at the dictation of the bookmakers. Mr Holland: Can you prove it? Hon. McLeod said he had been informed by bookmakers that if the clause were inserted licensing them the measure would go through in one day. Mr Holland: You know that the proposals come from your own benches. Hon. McLeod: Yes, but I would be surprised if there were more than three supporters on this side, but would not be surprised if they got support from tne Labour benches. From whatever source it came, the same influence had been brought to bear here as in Australia, and it was an attack on- the totalisator. He had heard bookmakers state that they would drive the totalisator out of the country. Mr Potter: The churches want to do that. .

Hon. McLeod, said that those who went in for racing wanted to gamble, and if they had not the tete they would •have the bookmaker. There was"a wellconcerted move to kill the tote so that bookmakers might later on com© in. He would be sorry if that came about. He was saying nothing to the discredit of bookmakers themselves, but was speaking of t-heiir profession. Judging from the experience of other countries, it would be unfortunate if they were licensed. Arguments about safeguards for iockeys were so> much “fudge” and not ten out of the 300 iockeys would subscribe to them. The real fact was that jockeys and trainers took so. much out of the racing game that only the wealthy people c-ould race horses'. Bookmakers were out to destroy the tote, And the churches were anxious for the same result, but for a different reason, and the result was that this unholy, combination was to make the position of the totg a shaky one. If it were wined out the country would be flooded with, bookmakers, and it would be impossible to control them. Mr Savage declared that the Minister of Lands had resorted to every form G.f innuendo to discount the opposition to the Bill. He could just as logically suggest that sly grog sellers were behind the prohibitionists.