GAMING BILL

Timaru Herald, Issue 170299, 18 August 1920, Page 5

GAMING BILL

CO UNCIL AMENDMENTS,

i/IoAGJiIiKD.'WITH Hi* THE HOUSE

10111 our Parliamentary Correspondent

WELLINGTON, August 16. _ The House dealt this afternoon with n.-u nd.iteiits in ado by tlie .Legislative ..mined in tiie Gaming Bill. 'J'no <Joun-

;■!. it will be remembered, made three amendments m tho Bill — 1110 iirst alio wing money to be tflct,. i[i.ieu to secreutries or racing clubs i) 11 racecourses lor investment on the lotaliiator, the second permitting pubn .'L:on ot dividends, and the third reuut'iiig the number of races per day in nil eigiit to seven during the winter mon tils.

Sir \V. 11. Hurries, who had charge oi' the Bill m tho absence of Air Anders'l'i, wlio io still ill, moved that the llouso should agree to all the Council's .iDiendmeiits except the reduction in tlir number of races. per day- lie said Mat already the iiclds were'ol ten too largo, .'ind flat races ill winter had had 1m be run in two heats. He assured '.ho blouse that the. deletion of summary jurisdiction in bookmaker-:' eases iliel not make any material difference, miico bookmakers could demand trial by juiy in any case. A

Several mem'oers objected to permitling bets to bo telegraphed tu raee••aurses. They stated tiiat there were L-iiough betting facilities already, and 111; s- tho legalisation of. betting- telegrams would result ill an enormous increase, sinco any person in any part ol tho Dominion would be able to send money to the course wherever a rnr-e meeting was being held. The publication of dividends would also increase ihe amount of bctt'ing. -Mr Isitt told the House that during tlie war period the huge sum of thirtylive million pounds had passed through the totalisator "in New Zealand. The installation of totalisator shows all over the country would be an inevitable i-osult of- the legalisation of bettin:! telegrams. "I .say that this is

■tin' most callous and barefaced attempt :m the part of racing clubs to eneournge betting at a distance, in absolute .1 '.ijU'erencc to its financial effect; and moral effect on the people/' s:.id Mr iMtK

Mr McC'ombs proposed as nn amendment that the Hou.sc should disagree ;:i'o with, tho Council's proposals for 11.<■ publication of dividends and tho legalisation of V>etting telegrams. •■-'•■.!ver.al members supported . this amendment. Sip W. H. Herrios assured the House that' betting telegram's were a. natural corollary to the banning of tho bookma leer. If people were not given facilities to bet on racecourses the book•nakor would continue to flourish. Mr Wilford: "And take his risk with jury." Sir AV. H.. Herries: "Precisely.. The. ousiness is such a profitable olio tli'n.fc hi- will go on and tnko the risk." The prohibition of betting telegrams was enacted at a time when bookmakers. V.vro permitted on racecourses. The j'iglit to bet by telegram should have

boon restored wlicn the bookmakers were put, oil racecourses. He hoped Hit: amendment would not- be earned, otherwise- the whole Uill might 'oe lost. Ine bookmaker had always survived by tlit?. patronage of people wiio d:d jjoo understand racing. iUuch general discussion followed. Air Ule/in said that to deny worKing jneii a liglit to bet by telegram was to make racing a class sport lor tlio bcnelit of people wJuo could attend a uieei-ing. Ah- \ eitch said the Bill was the outcome oi au alliance between the opponents 01 gambling aud the people who coveted t.no prohts ot gambling. Mr Sin it'll (iViiiniai-ino) said tlie restrictions put upon tho totalisn-tor had re; ill ted in introducing t-lio bookmaker in every town and hamlet in tlie Dominium

Air Bartram said racing clubs were showing gross ingratitude, to bookmakers, who had helped to losi cr the i"v;> ot gambling .in New Zealand. Ti )e bigger thief was trying to get- awav wiin the whole of the swag.

Finally Air Al.cCombo'y amendment was carried by bO votes to 24. The division list was as follows:

l''or the amendment SO —Bartram, Burnett, Craigie, ,J. M.' Dickson, Edie, J) rasi-r, -J. I!. Hamilton, Hanan, Hawken, Holland, Horn, Howard, Hudson, lsiti, Luke, AleCoinbs, .Maleoim, '\jit_ chell Br„ Newman, E. N-nvaian, Ngata, Parry, Seddon, Jjidey, Siatham, .Stewart, Sullivan, Sykes', Veitch, Wright. Against tlie amendment, 24. —Atjnore Bollard, Coates, Field, Forbes, Glenn| Guthrie-, Heinire. Herries, HcckJy, Lysnai', McCallum, McLeoil, J\li;irSey, Nasi), Nosuorthy, lMrr Poland. J>o-iinii-e, Beed, ]{. I[. IMiodes-, T. AV. lihoiles, K. W. Smith, Wil?ord. The House disagiv"d with tho thrno aiiiendineuts- indicated ai'.d agreed uitii the i-einaining amendm'-nis Messrs McCombs and AVitty and Sir W. H. Herrios were appointed managers to confer with mangers of the Council.