GAMING LEGISLATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23081, 6 January 1937, Page 6

GAMING LEGISLATION

A somewhat cryptic remark was made in the Police Court in Auckland on Monday last by a defendant who was charged with, and convicted of, using his premises as a gaming house. The offence that is thus described is that which is commonly alleged against persons who are prosecuted for laying totalisator odds, and since the defendant in this instance declared that he is “ a member of the Bookmakers’ Association and proud of it,” it may be inferred that actually the charge against him was that of following the unlawful occupation

of a bookmaker. There does not seem to have been any defence to the charge. The defendant seized the opportunity, however, to say something about the “ rotten legislation ” under which he was prosecuted. The magistrate gently reminded him that the Police Court was not the place to air a grievance of that nature, but the defendant succeeded in offering the additional remark that if some of his colleagues, “ who are now on a pedestal, had not ‘ ratted,’ the legislation would not have been still there.” The reference by the defendant to his “ colleagues ” is somewhat baffling, but the obvious inference that is to be drawn from his statement is that political friends, “who are now on a pedestal,” have not been loyal to their promises. He is, of course, not singular in, his disappointment that changes in the law that were freely anticipated when the change of Government occurred thirteen months ago have not so far been made, but there is an element of bitterness in his allegation that those whom he believed to be his friends—even if they were not exactly his “ colleagues ’’—have “ ratted.” The fact is that members of the Labour Party, including some of the present occupants of Ministerial offices, were, while they were irresponsible private members of Parliament, advocates of the licensing of bookmakers, and that one member of the party, who is now a Minister of the Crown, introduced on various occasions a Bill which had this object in view. Some curiosity was expressed whether, in the circumstances, the change ,of Government would be followed by the enactment of fresh gaming legislation. So far the Ministers have afforded no indication of any intention to interfere with what the defendant in Auckland feelingly stigmatised as “rotten legislation." Now that they are in office they do not seem to be particularly concerned to disturb existing conditions. Certainly, they can hardly fail to have been impressed with the extent to which the public revenues have benefited during the racing carnival of the past fortnight by the proceeds of the totalisator tax. But those who were led to believe that, if they were given a chance, they would legalise the occupation “of bookmaking may reasonably seek from them some indication of their intentions.