LICENSING AND GAMING BILLS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXI, Issue 15456, 7 November 1910, Page 5

LICENSING AND GAMING BILLS.

THE COMMITTEE STAGES

IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS PROPOSED. [Ft«om Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, November 6

Thi> Gaming Act Amendment Bill i.s to receive a good deal of attention in committee. A number of amendments are already announced, and even theso are no indication of what the sum total will Ijo when the. committee stage is reached.

A drastic proposal which the Relent committee on the HiJi refused to accept is to be moved by Mr T. E. Taylor as follows:—" A oonstabk may take into custody without warrant any person whom he hns resscnahlo grounds for suspecting to be on any street or racecourse or on any ground on which sports are boing held, within the meaning of section 26 of the principal Act." The 'member for Christchurch North also proposes to reduce to 200 the number of racing permits, now standing at 250 in the Bill.

Sir William Steward has given notice of a couple of amendments intended to make assurance doubly sure in regard to the prevention of betting. "The words " or plr.ee " are to bo :idded to "street" i.i the clause prohibiting street betting if he succeeds L> getting his .unondmont adopted, and he also wishes to include within the prohibition " all sports grounds, rifi° ranges and all grounds or places in or upon which any sport contest or athletic competition is proceeding." Mr It. A. Wright wishes to introduce a clause empowering the police to enter any premises of racing clubs or any buildings, totalisator house or totalisator to inquire and inspect if the. toh:l----isator is being properly and honestly worked, and to make any inquiries for the purpose of ascertaining if the provisions contained in the Aot are being infringed or in any way abused. He also desires to provide that the racingprogrammes shall state the starting time of each race and that after the time so stated no investment shall be rung upon the totalisator. The Breach of any portion of the law by a racing club should, according to another of Mr Wright's amendments, be followed by the revocation of the totalisator license fr;r one year. THE LICENSING BILL.

The truce of talk on the second reading of the Licensing Act Amendment Bill does not promise a- quiet passage in committee. Two vital features of the measure are already challenged by temperance members. Mr C. H. Poole has given notico to move to strike out the olause which declares that every vote given for national prohibition shall be deemed to bo a vote in favour of tho proposal that no licenses shall be granted in the district, and every vote against local no-lkcnse shell count against national prohibition. Mr A. Malcolm hr.n tabled amendments which sc ek to reduce Hie majority necessary to carry any issue from fitly-live to a bare majority.

Tho chief objection to the Bill, however, is admitted to have been removed from tho no-license point of view by tho Prime Minister's assurance in the second debate that an opportunity to vote would be given to tho«o who might favour local no-licenso but not dominion prohibition.