THE GAMING ACT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10580, 8 October 1910, Page 1

THE GAMING ACT.

THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS "• BARRING: THE BOOKMAKERS. '

By Telegraph. (Special 'io' the Oamaru Mail.)

Wellington, Octobci 7 The long-lookcd-for amendment of the Gaining Act was brought 'down by | Governor's Message in the House tonight and enculated almost immediately. 'lt'is a. fai-reackmg ineaMiie, de- I clarmg fust of all that bookmakiug shall be made illegal, and folloumg this up with other piovisious largely in accord with the almost unanimous wish ot the House as declaied on tlic Prime Minister's gaming lesolutions oaiher m the session The Act will come into operation on Jamurv Ist, 1011, and supplements that ot 1908, -the only poitiou lepealcd being the pi ov isimis l elating to lotalisatoi permits —Street Betting To fiequent or loiter m air\ sticet for the puiposc of betting will be an offence punishable with a fine not less than £2O and not exceeding -£IOO on a offence, and to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months foi anj subsequent oflencc either foi loiteinig or any othei breach of the Act. —Bookmakeis' Prohibited. The issue of bookmakers' licenses b"\ racing clubs authorised m the Act of 190S is to he prohibited, and eveij license cunent shall cease when the Act comes into foice To doubly bar the bookmaker the Bill provides that l.icmg clubs must use all reasonable and lawful means of pi eventing bookmakeis from pljmg then calling on the l.iceoouisc at tli.it meeting, and it fheMmistei of lutcin.il Afl.aus is satisfied that any lacing club has wilfulh or negligently failed to pomplj with this section lie shall i evoke the been e of that club and shall lcfuse to issue any furthei license to that club ..for a period of one >eai attei tlie date of such .revocation. —Totahsatoi Licenses Reduced. — A restiictiuu of licenses to use the totalisator will come into force in lespect of meetings taking place after Jul-, 31st 1911 Each license will be m lespect ot a single lace meeting, and shall specify the day or days upon which the totalisator shall be used. The limitation to be imposed is as follows . . Maximum Maximum Licenses Ka cc Daj s Trotting clubs . 22 50 Racing clubs 100 190 -The fixing of the actual number of totalisator licenses to be issued m am one "year and their allocation to the various clubs is to be entrusted to a Commission 'of five persons which may be appointed by the Goveinoi-m-Couu-cil.' They will be empowered to make such inquiries as to race meetings and permits as they think fit and will icport 'to the Governor They w ill havepower to call evidence upon oath and generally to exercise the pow its of taking evidence vested m a Koj.il Commission. . In allocating the licenses the Minister .of 'lnternal Affans shall iolluw the report* of the-Commission; but the Minister will have power to revoke any license so granted or to giant or letuse in his absolute discretion any hcense~m subsequent years. The Commission's 'duties will apparently cease aftei making the first repoit. - Notes, or Gold Totalisator investments must be made in r money and bank notes actually paid at'the time, and all betting, whether by mactiine oi otherwise, is illegal if made , with a person under the 'ago ot 21 years. For an offence against these provisions a fine of up to H~iQ is to be imposed upon any private but the maximum penalty li" double if the culprit'is a member, agent, ofheer, or a racing 'club. —Betting by Mmois.—If a minor who b> falsely lepresentxug himself as over 21 is enabled to make a bet he may be fined £IQ. __ —Art Unions. — ' The' Governor may, by- Order-m-Couucil, d'cclaie that 'the piovisious of th&'pnncipal; Act and ot all' other Acts prohibiting lotteries shall not "apply to the Art Union of London, "being a'body corpoiate established'by Royal.Gharter m tke'Uii'te'd Kingdom for the advancement institution,"' or 'association with* the like'objects in "any* place out of New Zealand. "',!*" "• When the .Bill'was introduced, Mr Hemes inquired of "file 'Pi iine 'Minister whether he .intended to abandon the Gaming Amendment Bill . now on the older paper.■«- - "",'," The'Pi i.me'Minister said that, as was usual, -the *Hous6 would b{> asked to. ! strike ioff the 'order "paper uhe Gaming ißill .first "brought down." There were not j Gaming Bills, but only one, "and I'should think, that one is quite enough," ""Sir 'Joseph adllcd, amid laughter. »"''"- The Bill was read the first time w lthout discussion, and set down for second leading-on-next sitting day I