The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1910. THE GAMING BILL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14321, 11 October 1910, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1910. THE GAMING BILL.

-By the Gaining Bill which has just been introduced, the Government, which chose two years ago to confer a patent of legal respectability upon the bookmaker, turns him adrift as an undesirable person whom racing clubs must keep off their courses. Not only is the issue of bookmakers' licenses by the clubs to be prohibited, but race clubs are required, under penalty, to "use all reasonable and lawful means of preventing bookmakers from plying their calling on the racecourse." A question has been raised as to whether this applies to meeting.* at which the totalisator is not used, but we can only think it does. We do not know how I the cold countenance shown his friends v/ill impress the Hon. J. j A. Millar, who, when the gaming | resolutions were before the House this session, said that he believed in the bookmaker and was not opposed to betting. Mr Millar ! argued that "once you do away 1 with bookmaking by law you will have a bookmaker in every town and a bookmaker in every factory so long as the totalisator exists for him." There seems indeed grave reason to doubt whether the provisions of the new Bill will have the effect of abolishing the bookmaker, though tliey will destroy the legality of his calling. The penalties for street bettinoare increased to a fine of from £2O to £IOO for a first offence, and up to three months' imprisonment for any subsequent offence. Out of 200 racing clubs and 27 trotting clubs in the Dominion no less than 117 racing clubs and 11 trotting clubs which hold meetings without the totalisator wii] apparently die a natural death when they are deprived of the bookmakers' fees. That being so, we do not see that it is necessary further to reduce the number of totalisator permits as is proposed under the Bill. The proposal to appoint a commission of five persons for the allocation" of these 2.eraits alfifi

superfluous, as the llaciuo' and Trotting- Conferences, whose members are appointed by the clubs, are surely in the best position to judge repair-din <>• the disposal of the permits. It is very doubtful also whether if such a commission were set up, the rights of small and well conducted clubs would be sure of due consideration. The provision that '" totalisator investments must be made in money or bank notes actually paid at the time," threatens to cause an amount of inconvenience incommensurate with its object. As Sir George Clifford states, " the totalisator gave no credit, unless one could call credit backing- a horse during the day against money deposited, or by men of undoubted meaus who gave a cheque for the amount at the end of the day. The totalisator .never asked anyone to bet." The provision that all betting, whether by machine or otln;:- rise, is illegal if made with a p.-'-?\3oii under _ the age of twenty-one years, is a good one in itself, but we do not think it fair to tnrow the onus of responsibility on ihd totalisator officials in these We anticipate some wanri discissions when the Bill comes to be considered by the House.