FRACTIOUS MEMBERS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 92, 23 August 1923, Page 5

FRACTIOUS MEMBERS

TROUBLE AT THE BARRIER. CAMINC BILL'S BAD START. Per Press Association. Wellington, August 22. The second reading of the training Amendment Bill was moved in the House to-night by the Hon. R. F. Bollard. He said it was not very contention si and he hoped it would be passed with little discussion. Tlie Minister explained the various clauses, the principal of which was that the Bill proposed to grant twelve additional totalisator permits to racing clubs and nineteen to trotting silubs. These permits, he explained, Avero to be placed at the disposal of country clubs and were not to be made available to the larger clubs. The other clauses were more or less of a machinery nature. Mr T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Opposition) said he was convinced the best ivay to assist this Bill on to the Statute Book was not to talk toe much.

Mr H. E. { Holland (Leader of the Labor Party) said lie could not understand such a contentious measure at tliis stage of the session. There was not the slightest chance of it going on the Statute Book. What would happen would bo that the House would sit up all night and in the morning they would find themselves where they are now. Right away he proposed to move an amendment that the Bill be referred to a select committee of the House, which Would have power to call on persons and for papers, and which would sit during the recess and call evidence as to the advisability of licensing bookmakers, and to report to the House next session. Personally, he was not in favour of licensing bookmakers, but they had a petition signed by a large proportion of the electors of the Dominion and that Tact entitled tlio question to consideration.

As to the Bill itself, Mr Holland objected to the arbitrary powers given to the Racing Conference in the matter of ordering people off , racecourse. In this respect the conference was given greater power than the Supreme Court. The position was intolerable, and it was time Parliament made a change. He would in committee move to have their power transferred to a stipendiary magistrate. There was a wide difference of opinion whether there should he' additional permits or a redistribution of the existing pehnits, hut in any case the question was no/: one of the most important, and he recommended the Government to accept the amendment moved by him self.

The Speaker,.., ruled that the amendment was out of order at this stage, but Mr Holland could move it later. The Hon, W. Downie Stewart said that while he was in charge of racing legislation he had frequent conferences' with racing clubs with a view to getting more reasonable administration of the regulations "relating to “undesirables” on racecourses, with the result that greater discretionary powers were given in cases whore offences had been expiated. The result wag that the Racing Conference was able to say they hud kept the racecourse cleaner than in any other part of the world. His experience was that the racing conference was desirous of keeping racing clean in New Zealand, and that they were fair and reasonable in, their efforts to do so.

Mr W. E. Parry ('Auckland Central) said it was nothing to the credit of the Government that they continued to bring down Bills to regulate racing, but did nothing to make decent conditions for jockey boys, who made racing possible. The conditions under which racing was carried on in New Zealand were disgraceful and degrading. lu the interests of jockeys ho advocated a minimum weight of seven stone. He held broad views as to how people enjoyed themselves, but he wanted established for jockeys. His objections to see docent and humane conditions Were not raised against- the trotting people, because they were not responsible for the galloping conditions, but as the Bill stood he would vote against it and fight it at every stage. Mr L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North) said it wa a a pity that legislation dealing with the miserable sport of racing wag taking precedence over much more needed measures at this stage of the session and nothing could more clearly demonstrate the enormous power of the racing fraternity. There was the serious problem of venereal disease calling for immediate legislation, and ho asked if it was a fair thing that the House should spend a whole night discussing a Bill which had no chance of passing, while no remedial measure was proposed for the problem to which lie referred. He contended the totalisator had not abolished bookmakers and that it was contrary to the spirit of the racing law that small country clubs should bo allowed to transfer their meetings to cities. When the Bill was in committee he would move an amendment restricting country race meetings to their own districts.

Mr Isitt said ho did not hope iO stop racing or gambling, but he did maintain that both were destructive of the economic and moral interests of the Dominion. One of the great dangers of this country was the fevsearch, of our people after

pleasure and unwillingness to settle down to thrift and hard work. Mr R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) said that while he would not take away from the people any privilege they now enjoyed he would not vote for an increase in gambling. This Bill would not solve the problem ; it would simply create a demand for more and more permits year after year. Mr P. Fraser (Wellington Central) said that obviously there could be nothing said in favour of the Bill, otherwise they would have heard its supporters advocating it. Ho moved that the Bill be referred back to the Government with a view to going into the whole question of the conduct of racing and the licensing of bookmakers. The amendment was seconded by Mr H. T. Armstrong (Christchurch East), who said the Bill removed none of the evils from which racing was suffering. Mr J. Edi© (Olutha) said the Bill granted thirty-one permits, a month’s racing in a year, and he would oppose it by all the means in his power. Tlie debate was still in progress when the telegraph office closed at 2 a.ra.

ALL-NIGHT STONEWALL. OPPOSITION TO INCREASE IN PERMITS. BILL READ SECOND TIME. Per Presgi Association. Wellington, August 23. After the Telegraph Office closed, the debate on tbo second reading cf the Gaming Amendment Bill continued for some hours on the lines of a well-organised stonewall. Several speakers complained that they had refrained from speaking many times during the session in order to exqpdite business, and they therefore resented the Premier bringing down, such a contentious measure, which his supporters had not justified and which the Minister has flung on the floor of the House. In a three minutes speech at c a.m., Hon. W. Nosworthy made a suggestion that the opponents of the Bill could best register their opinions in the division lobby. There wa s no need to occupy further time in talk. He advised taking a test on the amendment, and moved a motion to read the Bill a second time. Then the House could adjourn. Mr Holland, on behalf of the Labour Party, accepted the suggestion, and on £b division being’ taken' the amendment was defeated by 43 to 23.

On the motion that the, BUI he read a second time, another division was called for, the motion being earned by 56 to 9. The Premier then intimated that he proposed to go into committee on tho Bill forthwith. Mr Holland at once declared this was a breach of faith, and drew the Premier’s attention to the arrangement made with the Hon. W. Nosworthy. The Preimer said he had no wish to bo guilty of a breach of faith, but there were several valuable clauses iru the Bill, apart from the one increasing the permits, and he wished to get them through. He had been specially appealed to to pass the clause limiting the number vl horses in a held. Mr Isitt explained that if the Premier would, drop the increase in permits, ho would drop his opposition to the remainder of the Bill.

After tho Minister of Lrul explained the origin of several clauses, the House went into committee. A wrangle immediately arose as to whether the Government was not guilty of a breach of faith. The Premier said there would, he no breach of faith, but he asked the House to pass the first clause,, and then ho would move to report progress in the hope that members would confer in tho meantime and arrive at some arrangement, which would result in the valuable clauses being agreed to. Tho Hon. W. I>. Stewart suggested that the contentious clauses be deferred and the non-contentious clauses passed. If that were done he would give the Labour Party assistance to establish the seven-stone minimum weight for jockeys. Mr McCombs said if Clauses 2 and 5 were definitely dropjied, not deferred, tho valuable clauses might be passed in a few minutes. Hon. W. IX Stewart said that the proposal was most unfair. Mi* McCombs ; “If you think that, the debate must go on,” and ho proceeded to discuss the first clause.

At the doso of his speedy the Premier moved to report progress, saying ho would throw the responsibility on those who opposed the Bill. After a further hour’s discussion, during which several members put forward conciliatory suggestions with a view to avoiding a deadlock, progress was reported, understanding that private conferences would bo held between the conflicting sections in the hope of arriving at some settlement when the Bill comes up again. The House rose at 6.40 till 2.30.