Result Of Gaming Commission Report

Northern Advocate, 7 January 1948, Page 5

Result Of Gaming Commission Report

WELLINGTON, Wed. (P.A.) —The Dominion Sportsmen’s Association will almost certainly go into recess because of the recommendations ot the commission, stated the secietaiy of tile association (Mr 11. H. Clegg) today. Although a final decision would be made by the executive, he could see no alternative to closing down until Parliament met again. He, personally, was not prepared to carry on.

| This decision, he said, would mean ! that the facilities of the association would not be available to bookmakers : and that if they continued with their business they would have to arrange ; to receive results and dividends as best i they could. HOPE FOR PROTESTS : “Tiie public will then see what it ;s like not to lie able to bet as they i want to. and our hope is that there | will he suclt a flood of protests that those recommendations will not be 1 adopted,” said Mr Clegg. 1 “These recommendations could not j be worse. The commission must have been inspired. j “I flatter myself that I know what efficiency is with off-course betting j and I definitely consider that these | proposals could not work. ! “We never dreamt for one second | that these recommendations would be j made. : “I could not believe it when 1 j heard the news.” j “We really thought that our case was I foolproof and I was certain that bookj making in this country would be lic- ! ensed. I “We thought that we had the only j machinery in the country to cope with ! off-course betting and I still think we j have a system in operation that will • not be equalled, and certainly not ex- | celled. i “If these proposals are adopted we • are finished. “We are hit. but there is no use in ] squealing. | "The public are going to be hit soon i and it will oe up to them to protest j hard enough for the report to be set

aside. “That is our only chance if dividends are to be broadcast as suggested bv the commission. "There will be no need for the association. "Anyone who wants to be a bookmaker will be able to go into business any time. "All the information he needs will be provided by the Government. “The post office is going to be cluttered up with betting transactions to the exclusion of ordinary business, and their services will be even less able to cope with the rush than they are now. "I cannot see how they will manage.” Mr Clegg added that he could not see the average betting person going down to the post office every time ho fancied a horse. Such an arrangement would be cumbersome. At present bookmakers charts were the best advertisement racing clubs had. When the public found that that material was not going to be available, they would lose touch with the horses and their interest in racing would lessen. Alluding to the raid on the association’s Auckland office, recently, Mr Clegg concluded: “Now on top of that we find that the commission has made these recommendations. “You would have thought that the police would have left the raiding in abeyance until the report was made available.”