LATE SPORTING.

NZ Truth, Issue 148, 18 April 1908, Page 4

LATE SPORTING.

~ *" : (By "Spearmint.")The Manawatu Club and the Bookmakers. A Supreme Court Action Pending. As a result of the recent trouble between the Manawatu Club and the bookmakers who were betting at Awapuni, the latter have instructed their lawyer to serve a writ on the club. The writ, which is prepared by Messrs Wilford and Levi, on behalf of D. Ross, is to be issued against R. S. Abraham, C. Louisson, H. A. Cooper and C. 'A. Loughnan, members of the M.R.C., and the committee of such club, who are sued on behalf of themselves, and other members of the club. Plaintiff is claiming that he is a bookmaker and that races were held on April 7th and Bth at Awapuni, that the club were licensed to use the totalisator nndeß Section G6 of the Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1881, that the club made regulations regarding bookmakers that were m contravention of the provisions of Section 35 of last year's Act. That on April 7th, m pursuance of a license granted to him, he entered upon the course to carry on his business and found that the club had set aside a place, upon which ALONE he could carry on his business. He declined to be so restricted, and the following day a license was refused him. He claims to have suffered loss and damage and leaves it to a court and jury to decide whether, under the Statute, the club had any right to abrogate to themselves a greater power than the Statute gives them. The local bookmakers, who are banding together to fight the case, are very confident of winning. They argue that the club has no power to make regulations except the regulation fixing the terms of admission and that as soon as a bookmaker enters a racecourse he can bet under his license wherever he likes. Presumably, the writ will not be served until after the Easter holidays, and tbe decision will be eagerly looked forward to ( by both sides as it will affect . every bookmaker and every racing club m the colony. It will thus be seen that an interpretation of the meaning of Section 35 will have to be given by a judge of the Supreme Court. . '