PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10608, 10 November 1910, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

(Pee Pbess Association.) "Wellington, November 9. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. . The .Council met at 2.30. —Tuberculosis. — - Dr Collins asked whether the- At-torney-General's attention had been drawn to the Chief Veterinarian's report in connection with the effect upon, pigs and calves through being fed. wren .-mflk from dairy factories ■ and creameries, which contained the germs of- tuberculosis, and the necessity for pasteurising" the by-products before Ibeing fed to these animals.- - • ' • Dr Findlay said the Government were fully aware of the position. The whole tuberculosis in the lower animals and its bearing upon public health was now engaging the attention of the Government. ' The Minister of Agriculture had taken steps to secure information respecting the intentions oi dairv proprietors on pasteurisation of by-products, so that the Government would be in a position to decide as to the necessity or otherwise of making the reform compulsory. —Water Power. — Mr Wigram moved a resolution congratulating the Government on its water conservation policy, and recommended that one proposal only should be selected for immediate installation and pushed forward to a completion before the others are undertaken. The motion was lost by 16 to 8. —Bills.— The Land Settlement Finance and Contagious Diseases Repeal Bills were passed. . . „ . The Secret Commissions Bill, the Post and Telegraph Amendment Bill, and the Counties Amendment Bill were read a second time. The Council rose.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at, 2.30. —Questions. — . Replying to questions, Ministers stated 'that no invitation had been re- . ceived'in connection with the Coronation, but should any be received during the-session, the House would be consulted. . , That no advice had been received from tho Colonial Office fixing the date of the Imperial Conference. That it was not intended to proceed with tho Municipal Corporations Amendment Bill with the last amendment added by the committee making the Government subject to municipal bv-laws. , v "'■••'• That a Bill providing that workers, on payment'of a deposit, shall be able to get dwellings erected, would be brought before the House in a few days.That a cable had been received stat-" ing that 50 boys will leave England for the Dominion by the Athenic: on 7th December next, in connection with, the emigration scheme ' propounded by Mr Sedgwick. . • ' That the question of granting a bonus to encourage engineers, flaxmillers, and inventors to'improve flax-milling machinery is tinder the consideration of the Cabinet, and the Government is awaiting fuller details of the scheme promised by the deputation from the Flaxmillers' Association, which recently waited on the Minister of Agriculture.

—Tramways Bill. — The Labor Bills Committee recommended that the Tramways Bill be allowed to proceed. —AVaterside Workers. — The Committee reported on the petition of the Auckland Waterside Workers praying that the Government should set up a Royal Commission to take evidence to completely justify the status, name, and honor of the waterside workers, in the Dominion. The petition was the outcome of the recent award in the waterside workers dispute, w ; hich had a memo, attached referring to pilfering. This was held to be a reflection on the honesty of the waterside workers. The Committee recommended the matter to the Government for favorable consideration. A long discussion ensued, during which Judge Sim's tag to the award ,was' condemned by Messrs Poole, M'Laren, Hogan, Laurenson, and Taylor (Christchurch North). The report was adopted. —ivrr TTine's Charges.— - mr nanan, Uiiairman of the Committee; investigating the charges made by Mr Hine, moved that the time originally fixecL for reporting be extended til the 19tR instant. The motion was agreed to.

—Discussion.— -The remainder of the .afternoon sitting was devoted to a discussion on answers to questions. The House rose at 5.30. :The House resumed at 7.30. —Bills The Local Bodies Loans Amendment and the Destitute Persons Bills passed, their' Committee stages. • —Gaming Bill.— The ' Gaming Amendment Bill was moved by Sir Joseph Ward. He said the' Committee to which the Bill had :been referred had taken evidence on both sides. The Committee' had endeavored to make the Bill a 'workable one. : Under the proposals of the Bill, the number of racing days was considerably reduced by reason of the prohibition of bookmakers on racecourses. The amendments made by the Committee provided that the number of days the totalisator may be used musthot exceed 250, and each class of racing shall be reduced proportionately to the number of days on which file totalisator is used during the twelve months preceding the,passing of the Act. Another amendment provided that no racemeeting shall extend over eight days in the case of a four-days meeting, six in the case of a three-days meeting, and four in the case of a two-days meeting. Investment on the totalisator had to be made in cash, bank notes, or cheque before or at the time of investment. The provision applying to the exclusion of bookmakers from racecourses applied- -also to coursing matches ', pigeon shooting matches, and inanimate shooting matches. The Bill provided a penalty for street betting, and abolished bookmaking as at present existing. He would be prepared to deal with the provisions of the Bill in detail when the Committee stage was reached. Mr Heri-ies said the cry of too much racing was a bogey. Many of the country meetings were sports meetings, with , a few hack races, and were not entitled to the name of race meetings. Since 189S the number of meetings had only increased by 19. Taking the increase of population into consideration the number of race meetings had not increased. Referring to clause 4, which provides that racing clubs shall take steps to prevent bookmakers from' plying their calling on racecourses, he said this would have the effect of reducing the number of race meetings m the country districts, where there was no totalisator to . provide stakes. He criticised the clause on the setting-up of a " commission to. decide the num.-" ber of licenses to be issued, which would not work satisfactorily. If hindrances' were, placed 'on the sport it would do infinite harm to the breed of horses.

• Mr Taylor (Thames) preferred to improve the breed of men rather than the breed of horses. If the magnificent sport of horse racing could not be carried on without speculation and gambling let the sport go. Mr Glover said horse-racing was the only enioyment thousands of working men.had. He was prepared to oppose, the Bill right up till Christmas, conscious of the approval of his constituents.

Mr Macdonald said the demand for a reduction in race meetings was largely due to the galloway pony meetings in towns. Mr "Wright gave a general approval of the Bill, was against the proposal to publish totalisator dividends. Mr AVilford said the people were now asking that the bookmakers should be banished from the racecourses, and they would be asking for the" repeal of this provision few years. Mr Vliitty contended "that, the pro.posal to arrest any man suspected of being a bookmaker would defeat -the main object of the 'Bill. The;Bili wasan attempt to make'-the sport Mclean, and though it went tjio far in some respects it would accomplish a great <'e:il of good. Mr Pearce did not agree that ihe abolition of bookmakers would result . in killing all country clubs. He would I opnose any attempt to kill the sport.

Air Hassey reminded the House that the question was not a party one. £o far as the members of his party were concerned, they could vote as they pleased. He was of opinion that the Bill had been considerably improved in Committee, and would, if passed into law, go a long way towards renie-

dying the abuses that had grown up since the passing of the Act iu 1907. If ho could abolish gambling in one act he would- do so, but he recognised this was impossible. One of ithe worst and most degrading forms of gambling was betting with a-bookmaker. There was far too much racing and consequent gambling, and so far as the Bill remedied these evils it would have his heartiest support. ' The House went into Committee on 'the Bill. ,' . At clause 2. which provides penalties for street betting, Sir W*. J. Steward moved to add the words after street "as defined by section 34 of the principal Act." Mr Wilford moved to increase the term of imprisonment for street betting for a second offence from three to six months, with the object of giving the offender the option of trial by jury. On a division the amendment was rejected by 63 to 12. ' Mr Herries moved to ./substitute "bookmaker" for "person" in subclause 2,' which provides a penalty lor betting on racecourses. On a division the amendment wascarried by 53 to 21. " / Mr Taylor (Christchurch) moved to add after .racecourse, "or in any public place or premises." . The amendment was carried on tne voices, and the sub-clause was carried bv 66 to 8. ',_,.• Mr Pearco moved a new sub-section as follows: "Every person who makes a bet with a bookmaker as to the result of any race or sport is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction, to a -penalty of -£10." -On a division this was negatived by 40 to 30. Mr Pearce moved another sub-clause making it compulsory for a person to give evidence on a prosecution for a breach of the x\ct. • This was lost on the voices. On the motion of Sir Joseph Ward a new sub-clause to clause 4 was added giving racing clubs power to remove from racecourses persons acting in contravention to clause 4, which provides that racing clubs shall prevent bookmakers from plying their calling on racecourses. • . At clause 6 Mr Clarke moved to add a sub-clause providing that in determining the club to which licenses shall be granted preference shall be given to clubs using tho totalisator for one meeting, only.