EVILS OF GAMBLING

Otago Witness, Issue 3610, 22 May 1923, Page 27

EVILS OF GAMBLING

SYDNEY’S PONY RACES. SYDNEY, May 19. Speakers at the Presbyterian Assembly characterised the overgrowth of racing, particularly pony-racing, as scandalous, and as the greatest curse to the community. They deplored the growth of gambling among women, and stated that they had known households destitute of food because the women had used their household money for backing ponies. It was decided to ask the Government to reduce the number of racing days. TOUTS AND SCOUTS. LONDON, May 4. At the -first sitting cf the Parliamentary -Select Committee appointed to inquire into the taxation of betting, a detective superintendent testified that betting was conducted at about 70 public-houses in the City of London. A street bookmaker when warned by touts would usually retire to a publichouse. Tho witness declared that if street bookmakers were licensed obstruction and annoyance would be inevitable. The police w'ere unable to stop betting in the streets, where bookmakers often took a £7 bet from one customer. They were able to pay touts and scouts, and could meet fines. The largest number of belting slips found on one tout was 288. The superintendent emphatically denied that the police had been corrupted.