BOOKMAKERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16837, 13 September 1922, Page 9

BOOKMAKERS.

*TO BE OR NOT TO BE?” j COMMITTEE’S ADVERSE REPORT. (Written for the “ Star.*’) WELLINGTON. September 12. Petitions containing 80,551 signatures, including about 10 to 12 per cent pf females, asking for the licensing or bookmakers, were considered bj • the Public Petitions Committee (M to Z), . tb« chairman of which. Mr J. M. Dick- | son, reported to-day that it had no re- j Commendation to make. When this brief report was read in the House, Mr Witty commented that • the committee might have stated why ! it had no recommendation to make. The Government might, well look into the matter. It was creating thousands of criminals with its defective legislation. Would it not be better to clean up gambling instead of driving it underground Jbv legalising one form only? T>e Hon E. P. Lee . There's a scarcity of cleaners. Mr "Witty: There has certainly been a scarcity of cleaners in the Department of which the honourable gentleman is the head. Jf it won’t attempt to clean up, how can it expect others to do so? He wished to know if the committee was unanimous, and whnb led up to its decision. It was obvious that 80,000 signatures were not sent, forward for nothing. They were genuine signatures of people who wanted to .see things cleaned up. hut the Minister of Justice and those under him were making criminals day by day. It bookmaker* were legalised, they would assist in seeing that the law was carried cut in its entirety. Mr Savage also invited the eommitte to specify its reason. Possibly they were pushed they would specify policy. He could not understand the objection to licensing, because every licensee added one to the number who wished to see the law carried out. He could' not discover the difference between bookmaker and totalisatoi . 1 won’t get rich betting with either, and the average person who goes on to the course to bet. should know he is going to lose money.” Mr Savage suggested that illegal betting was general , in fact, he thought that, as every office boy could get a double* chart, the Minister of Justice could probably get a bet in hit? own office. He saw no moral difference between bookmaker and totalisator. because the latter was owned not by the State, but by the raring clubs. Mr M’Leod : The ** tote ” does not chase you round to make a hot. Mr Savage repeated that illegal gambling was general. He would like to see* private bets undertaken in the light of day. as was the case in Sydney. If there was any doubt about betting being illegal, let the Government give the people an opportunity of deciding the matter by means of a referendum on the totalieator and the bookmaker. He wished to give both bookmakers and totalisator advocates » warning that unless they hang together they would hang separately. Mr Parry supported the contention that the large number of signatures justified giving some reason for the committee’s attitude. They were really dodging the issue in response to the popular whim of the House. If the Government was consistent, it. would legalise gambling with bookmakers as ic had done with respect to privately owned machines. \ Mr J. M’C. Dic’kson. ns chairman of the committee, replied that members understood very well what was meant when the committee reported that 't had no recommendation to make. It was tantamount to saying that it was not favourable to the petition. The committee did not shirk its responsibility by saying that it was a matter of policy. The committee was practically unanimous in its decision. Mr Parry: What about people’s rights? Mr Dickson : That i« another matter. The report was adopted without, division.