TOTALISATOR COMMISSION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12664, 18 January 1912, Page 2

TOTALISATOR COMMISSION.

ARRIVAL AT WELLINGTON. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Totalisator Commission lias arrived m Wellington, and will sit to-mor-row m a room In Parliament buildings. About 34 Avitneases have so far been examined m New Zealand, and the evidence has favored the totalisator as against the bookmaker. Among the witnesses examined m Auckland were Dr. Bennett altd Ml' Hargreaves, of South Australia, each well-known m Australian sporting circles, and both strongly favored the totalisator. Mr R. H. Levicn, M.L.A., chairman, has been a frequent visitor to the Dominion. He has sat 'in* the New South Wales Assembly asrepresentative of Tamwbrth for 32 years, and is known as the "father" of the New South Wales Lower House.' The commission had its "beginning, m an outcry m "New South Wales for the intro- j duction of the totalisator. Many of the! sporting papers advocated it, and the Sydney Daily Telegraph followed suit. ' Mr Levien, being a horse-owner, and m the interests of sport and the people, introduced a Bill into Parliament, which was eventually referred to a select committee. After the committee had been appointed it was known that Parliament would sopn nave to adjourn or prorogue, and iri either event the committee would lapse, so it was converted into a Royal Commission. In that capacity members ha^e been able- to visit South Australia, Tasmania, and Xew Zealand, and Queensland will follow. Each of these legalises the totalisator. Inquiry will be held later on m Mel-; bourne into the merits of the rival . sys- 1 tern m Victoria. : The' commission so far has expressed .no opinions on the results 1 of its labors. They,- regret that many opponents of the machine m Northern New Zealand, whieh '•■had .been -visited, did not come ' forward' with their objec-, tions. ■-.■'»■■ •■• •• . ...-■- l J