SPORTS AND BETTING

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 71, 25 March 1914, Page 2

SPORTS AND BETTING

BOOKMAKERS ACTIVE IN

SYDNEY.

There is a movement on' foot m Sy<Lriey to have betting legalised at athletic, cycling, and swimmiiKC sports^ meetings., I\. \-, '\:_ "-''■■ ■'.'''■■. This fact was made at tfi^ last meeting, of the -League of SWiin-; mers, when Mr R. E. Oaten/secretary; of the Athletic League, asked fbt cb--operation in an endeavor (to have the^ Gaming Act amended to admit of it^ He said that some years ago Mr Wade submitted to the Legislative Asseinljhr a measure named' the Gaming and Betting Bill. It Avas intended to suppress fche betting shops, their rampantin Sydney, and other forms of pernicious, speculation, its provisioislimiting the betting to the racecourse^ Une clause of the Bill provided that fcfttmg "may" not be allowed at athletic meetings if those in charge of the function permitted it, but wfi«fe the measure reached the committee Stage iWr .Wside adopted an amendment ;by Mr Griffith that the may be deleted and "shall" inserted, and even then the suppression oq rfi lng w^ only-carried by 31 to* 28. The position that then arose was that, while 'betting was legalised o» .racecourses, horses, ponies, trotting", and -coursing, it was prohibited everywhere else. The body he represented considered that £n unwarranted interference with the liberty of the subject, and so did the League of Wheelmen, with whom he had been in commiimoation. Both those bodies desired the League of Swimmers to join? in a deputation to the Government to have the Act amended. Mr Ballerum moved that the request be not entertained. Th& league was certainly a professional Body, but the introduction of bookmakers at. their carnivals might lead to all sorts of corruption. Mr Quintan, in seconding the>" motion referred to what^he ' called! the decline of cycling. A few yearn ago crowds of 30,000 or 40,000 peoplewould g o^ ito cycling carnivals, but tnen the bookmakers arrived, and theonly question for the spectator was not to find the best rider in a field 6ff f)_ or so, but the almost solitary trier. : . ' -

• Mr said when he came Ao Australia fully 4000 men were hvmg on pedestriaiiism. Sdme-meK who could do under -"evens", werw ' at^£4: week dr • so^ simply! t^"; run- a starte^who did Hot suit ? tne &Sl ™\^^ they finished no^ where m the final. Nbw the peopfe ruSner " :at * P^^ionS

~Tlie motion refusing to take part in

the bookmakers of Sydney are- „ making much effort to "push their barrows- into Wts meltings w a * evidenced on the following JViondavZ7^- *<*?™S carnival held S Sydney m aid of the Olympic Rem-e-Sthes lOn Fuf d-" ■■? is ipS-ted ?h^ there was a large betting Vine; at theon?' nal ' Tl^* *> bet "4 to I££ 100 T»r^ hoUr, raee could ■be--i«ai« IUU yards away from it. It wis a; oS^^ gglfVr^^n usual, and the SK^STC life's:offenders^ 8! M B°™«-g out thf