GAMING AMENDMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 7 September 1935, Page 9

GAMING AMENDMENT

UPPER HOUSE OPINIONS LICENSING OF BOOKMAKERS. defence of the government. ,debate on address-in-reply. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Hon. G. J. Anderson dealt with the suggested amendment to the gaming laws when continuing the Address-in-Reply debate in the Legislative Council to-day. He pointed out that the totalisator had been in existence for 50 years and he hardly thought racing would benefit through the licensing of bookmakers. It seemed that those who had criticised the Government in recent years were wide of the mark, continued Mr. Anderson. Criticism must be constructive. Irrespective of the action the Government took somebody would have been bound to have been hurt. Had the Government let the natural order of things follow its Course the country would have been in a very much worse condition to-day through wholesale bankruptcies. Mr. Anderson expressed the opinion that it would be very difficult for the ' Government to reduce taxation in view of the Government’s liabilities. He said that if it were said that New Zealand was afraid of Socialism it had to be remembered that for about 40 years the country had been on the high road to Socialism and had got pretty close to it to- ' day without doing the country any harm. If there were a change of Government it seemed that the alternative was unrestricted inflation. He criticised the guaranteed prices proposal and said guaranteed prices would have to be met by either taxation, confiscation of wealth or inflation. , . , .. The Hon. V. A. Ward reviewed the ' jubilee celebrations and stressed the -loyalty shown to Their Majesties. Mr. Ward suggested that if State lotteries were instituted the money now sent abroad would be kept in the country. If there was an evil that could not be suppressed it should at least be regulated. Dealing with the Hon. J. McLeods reference to the gaming laws he said it was essential that the sport of racing should be looked after. The debate was adjourned and the Council rose at 3.50 p.m.