THE BOOKMAKER

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2705, 12 June 1925, Page 7

THE BOOKMAKER

Castigated By Taranaki Magistrate ON WHICH SIDE IS PUBLIC OPINION? [Pep Press Association.] HAWERA, Last Ni^ht. In the Magistrate's Court, David Arthur Anderson pleaded guilty to a charge of book-making. Mr. O'Defa, ifor (defendant saidi ninetynine out of one hundred juries would not convict for book-making. The community did not think it wrong. The present system allowed gambling. Mr. Land: Book-making in allowed in some Australian States and he asked if that were worse than the present hole-and- corner business in New Zealand. The Magistrate (Mr. Barton) said only a few years ago, book-making had been prohibited in this country and the totalisator brought into use to satisfy a public desire. The bookmakers did not assist, but continued their work against the law. The Magistrate strongly condemned the operations of book-makers, declaring it brought into being bribery and vice. Even a' public service, that should be clca'n, was debauched and made dirty by bookmakers, who broke the law and found means of escaping punishment. The position, he considered, would continue to get so bad that in the end legislators would have to 'make a clean-up. He agreed the defendant could have gone to the Supremo Court, but ho would have gone not with the knowledge that the police could not prove their case, but hoping that the jurymen would he false to their oahts and not convict. A fine of £IOO was imposed. The Magistrate asked that the circumstances be reported to the Licensing Committee.