TELEGRAPHING BETS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18355, 28 August 1929, Page 11

TELEGRAPHING BETS.

AMENDMENT TO GAMING BILL. COMMITTEE S REPORT DISCUSSED By Telagraph—Pr«aa Association. WELLINGTON, August 27. In the House of Representatives this afternoon, Mr T. W. McDonald submitted the report of the M. to G. Committee, recommending a gaming petition for favourable consideration. Mr H. T. Armstrong (Christchurch) said he hoped it was not being seriously suggested that the Telegraph Offices should be turned into agencies for the totalisator. If it was intended to submit such legislation to the House, he predicted that it would have the roughest passage of the session. Sir George Hunter (Waipawa), expressed pleasure with the terms of the report. Mr F. Langstone (Wairaarino). protested that ordinary telegraph business would be delayed by the multitude of betting messages that might concentrate on the post office in a small town at which a race meeting was being held. The gambling element in New Zealand was growing, and the proposed alterations to the law would render the position worse. He moved that the report be referred back to the Committee for further consideration. Mr Clyde Carr (Timaru), seconded the amendment. He stated that he and certain other members of the M. to G. Committee had been prevented by urgent business from attending the meeting of the Committee, which had adopted the recommendation. He personally would not have voted for it. He contended that there was a vast section of public opinion against amendment of the Gaming Act. The Churches, at any rate, were against the proposaL Mr F. Lye (Waikato), said the people who wanted to bet by telegraph could not call themselves sports. They were merely trying to get something for nothing. He had no objection to the publication of dividends. Mr W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne), said he was in favour of legalising what was to-day an illegal traffic. Every section of the community was indulging in betting, and he considered that the evil would be less if the proposed legislation were passed. He suggested that the Government should take up the Gaming Amendment Bill, and pilot it through. Mr H. H. S. Kyle (Riccarton), said he would like to see the Bill passed, if only to remove the ban on euchre tournaments.

Mr D. G. Sullivan (Christchurch), said he could see no Justification for the Bill. If the Post Office was to be used for the transmission, the sporting element of the bet would be eliminated. Even if the GamingAmendment Bill were passed, he considered there w’ould still be the same amount of illegal betting, and telegraphing bets would provide additional temptation. Mr H. R. Jenkins said he would support the amendment. The State had its remedy against betting with a bookmaker, and he thought the police should carry out their duties more thoroughly In this respect, thereby reducing the number of bookmakers. These were only occasionally fined, and it was well known that on these occasions their club or association paid the fine.

Mr H. G. Dickie (Patea), said he could not see any objection to telegraphing bets, when it was known that the Post Office was being used in the interest of bookmakers.

Mr G. H. Mason (Eden), said Increased facilities for betting would flow from the new provisions, and he considered that this would not be in the interests of the country. Mr T. Makitanara (Southern Maori), said that gambling would go on for ever, and it was a waste of time to try to stop it. He held no brief for the bookmaker, but as betting in that quarter existed it should be regulated and conducted through proper channels. He would have more to say on this phase of the subject when his amendment relating to bookmakers was before the House.

Mr A. M. Samuel (Thames), submitted that the Committee’s work had been done faithfully and well, and it was entitled to have its recommendations adopted. Mr J. S Fletcher (Grey Lynn), expressed the belief that investigation into the subject had not been sufficiently thorough, and all aspects of the subject had not been given due consideration. There were two points in particular tp‘ which he would like to draw attention, and they were the cost of extra telegraph operators that would have to be employed, and the danger of urgent race telegrams delaying business messages. Mr R. A. Wright (Wellington) said *t had been suggested that people should be given the opportunity of voting on this issue, and he agreed with this view. He admitted that gambling could not be abolished, but the report should be referred back tc the Committee, as it was not custom ary for a Committee to submit a recommendation on what he considered was a matter of policy.

Mr R. Semple (Wellington) objected to the waste of time in discussing such a subject, when the country was waiting for more important legislation.

Mr H. E. Holland (Buller) said tha* if facilities had been given to oppon ents of the Bill to submit their view he would not vote for the amendment

but if opponents had not been given an opportunity to appear before the Committee he considered the matter should be referred back to it. In his opinion, there were worse forms of gambling than racing. He thought the Stock Exchange was the worst form of all. He considered he was in the unique position of being the only member of the House who did not bet, and personally he would like to see gambling abolished from sport. It seemed to him that the only man who was entitled to object to the Bill was the man who did not bet himself. He sympathised with the Churches in their attitude. However, as things stood, there seemed to be some anomalies in New Zealand. Dividends were published in Australian newspapers, and sold on New Zealand bookstalls without penalty. Further, If it was wrong to publish a di .idend, surely it was wrong that there should be a dividend. It had also to be remembered that bookmakers used the Post Office at the present time. Mr G. C. Munns (Roskill) agreed that it would be impossible to eliminate betting, but there seemed to be a danger of the country becoming "racin' mad.” The Government might And itself faced with the necessity to curtail the number of racing days per year. Inquiries by stewards and othei incidents supported the view’ that racing was becoming a business to-day and the "poor silly public” had to pay If it were possible to telegraph bets it would be placing “information” in the hands of telegraph employers, whf might be tempted to bet. where other wise they would not have been interested. The discussion had concluded when the House adjourned at 5.30. ant' the report was talked out.