THE GAMING ACT.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2901, 10 January 1911, Page 5

THE GAMING ACT.

Q'TOWN ATHLETIC CLUB AFFECTED. Under the Race Meetings Act which was passed in 1909 and became operative on April 1, 1910, is is provided that no race meeting " Shall take place except under the authority and control of a racing club holding a license under this Act. Two persons arranging to gallop or trot their nags along a street line could be brought under the definition "illegal racing." | The Act makes it a criminal offence for every person (not being a constable acting in the course of his duty) present as a spectator at such illegal racing. Thus, for watching a little bush racing, a man would be liable on summary conviction under the previous enactment to a fins of £SO or three months' imprisonment. The • Free Press,' Balclutha, says that there have been several cases in point in that district nnd refers to the case of the settlers at Cannibal Bay who have been in the habit for years of holding an amateur lace and sports meeting. The settlers, however, thought they would chance it knowing that their races were purely friendly trials between the bush hacks and that there bad never been any lietting on the results On the day set the constable attended and the settlers judiciously kept their (> neddies " in the bush, thinking they would be able to get off the horse «vents after the " man in blue" bad departed. He, however, stayed until after 6 in the evening, and the settlera had to disperse chewing the cud of disappointment at being baulked of their innocent form of " the sport of Kings," so called, and doubtless wondering dully how it came about that in the cities, under the of the totalisator, all the thieves and speilers of the community could still mingle with respectability and gamble to their hearts' content.

The Act applies with equal force to the local Athletic Club, which runs two trots at ita annual gathering, and we feel sure that the Club was not aware of the existence of the Act or it must have excluded the trotting events from the programme. The club is not going to get off scot free for the breach of th<* Act for we understand that the police have the matter in hand and they must at least report.it to head quarters. Whether there Will be any penalty imposed on the club for the breach it cannot be said. We hardly think there will be any bother on this occasion but it is certain that no more trotting can be done on the local ground.