THE GAMING BILL

Otago Witness, Issue 3212, 6 October 1915, Page 12

THE GAMING BILL

THIRD READING CARRIED. WELLINGTON, October 2. The Gaming Act Amendment Bill was further discussed by the Legislative Council to-day. The Leader (Sir Francis Bell) moved the following clause, “If in the year commencing on the first day of August, 1914, or in any subsequent year any racing club, by reason of the use or occupation of its land or buildings, or any part thereof, for military purposes, has held a fewer number of race meetings than in the year ended on July 31, 1914, the Minister of Internal Affairs, notwithstanding anything contained in ‘ The Gaming Act, 1910,’ and notwithstanding that tlie aggregate number ot days mentioned in subsection 2 of section 5 of the said Act, may thereby' be exceeded, may in any subsequent year or years, on the application of the club, in addition to licenses for a number of days in each year, not loss than the number of days on which the club was authorised to use the totalisator in the year ended on July 31, 1914, issue to the club licenses to use the totalisator for a number of days equal in the aggregate to the number of days which would have been included in the race meetings which the club has been prevented, for the reason aforesaid, from holding.” Sir Francis Bell explained that the new clauses only provided for allowing the Minister to grant in any subsequent year licenses for days wdiich a club lost through reason of its grounds beingoccupied for military purposes. During the current year the number of licenses (250) must not be exceeded by the extra days granted in the following or subsequent years.

The Hon. Mr Jones: Year after year it could be done.

Sir Francis Bell: No, no. That is quite clear.

Mr Jones: We know how clever these legal gentlemen are, but sometimes these clauses are worded so that they can bo taken two ways.

Sir Francis Bell said he had instructed the law draughtsman that the number of licenses was not to bo exceeded, and the draughtsman had assured him that the clause prevented this.

The lion. Mr Samuel said that after carefully considering the clause he was satisfied that the average of 250 days a year would be exceeded. The Hon. Mr Mao Gibbon said that the club was entitled to more than its mood of fairness. It was entitled to the thanks of the country for its generosity to the Defence Department. At the same time ho intended to vote against the Bill as a protest against spending so much time on such a measure when the Empire was at stake.

The Hon. Mr Barr strongly opposed the clause. If the camp was to bo permanent let the Government give the club compensation and take the racecourse for the purposes of the training camp. It was most disgraceful that any body of men should have come forward and said they were prepared to do something for the country, but they wanted something back. If ho stood alone he would vote against the clause. Flo moved to strike out all the words up to “ August,” and called for a division. The amendment was defeated, only the Hons. Messrs Aitkcn and Paul voting with the mover.

Sir Francis 801 l then moved the following additional proviso—“Provided that so soon as a racing club shall have so received permits for as many days in excess of its ordinary number as it has previously lost, no further permits in excess of the number shall be issued to such club under the authority of the Act.” The clause was agreed to. The following clause was also agreed to : “ For the purpose of computing the periods referred to in subsection 4of section 5 of * The Gaming Act Amendment Act, 1910,’ Sunday shall not in any case be taken into account, and Mondays shall in every case bo deemed to be consecutive to Saturday.” The Bill was reported with amendments. The third reading was carried by 16 votes to 8, the voting being Ayes—Bell, Baillie, George, Jones, Camcross, Bcehan, Earnshaw, Moore, Buchanan, Hardy, Morgan, Simpson, Mills, Wigrain, Samuel, and Bowen, Noes —Aitkcn, Paul, Barr, MacGihbon, MacGregor, Fisher, Hall Jones, and Carson.