DIVIDED OPINION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19992, 8 November 1927, Page 8

DIVIDED OPINION

THE GAMING BILL House of Reps. Debates Second Reading pnOKTHS AND THE TOTE (Per Frees Association,) WELLINGTON, Nov. 7. When the House of Representatives met at 7.30 last evening, Sir George Hunter (Waipawa) rose to move the second reading of the Gaming Amendment Bill. He thanked the Prime Minister for giving him the opportunity of moving the second reading of the Bill, to which the main objection was that it would entourage gambling. Th»-s he contended, would not be the case, but it would, on the other hand, divert betting from illegal into legitimate channels. He contended that it not increase gaming, and to prove this he claimed there had been a decrease in the money put through the totali.-iaiar of £964.000 from last years dgima. The bookmaker betted on credit, he •aid, the totalisaxor was for cash only, and it was used oniy un a certain number of days, while the bookmaker betted cn any day and at any place. There was nothing new in the Bill because it only re-enacted what was law some years ago. There was nothing compulsory about the Bill, no club being obliged to accept money for investment on the totalisator. Sir George explained the clauses of the Bill, contending that the non-pub-lication of dividends was an undue restriction an the rights of newspapers, and that it was absum that New Zealand dividends were published in Australian papers while they could not be published here. •‘Political Humbug.” Mr M. J. Savage <Auckland West; said the Bill was a political humbug, equalled oniy by the Religious Exercises in Schools *Bill. It was a racing club Bill and the racing clubs were .-eeking on ** moral ’ ’ grounds to confine betting to the totalisator. He quoted from Hansard a division list showing how members of the House had previously voted on the providing for a double tote, and asked them to be consistent and vote against it to-night. He intended to do so. He wondered if the Government would refer the question of betting to a referendum of the people. What he wanted to see was this question referred to the people, and they should decide whether there should be a totalisator or a bookmaker. He charge-1 members of the Reform Party with inconsistency in opposing this class of legislation one session anc supporting it the next. He denounced the practice of t-owirry dubs h their meetings o*i city courses, wkthey couid get mor? money on trie .. ~ ■: in five minutes than they woiu-i in their own districts in a Old Clauses Re-enacted. Mr V. H. Potter (Roskiii come not understand the Governm-t: giv.ng facilities for this Bill to com- befor the House; he could nut understand the Government allowing the Racing Conference to dictate the business «1 Parliament. He maintained the Bui would not hurt the bookmaker. He would license the bookmaker, because what could not be eradicated should be controlled. Rating was no longer rhe king of sport.—it was nothing but legalise*! gambling, an i .: was time the State took control of racing. . Mr J. McCombs Ly’*» .: □ -a. : the Bill was re-enacting clauses which Sir Joseph Ward, when Prim- Minister, was compelled to repea* b*' au.-e of the •otcry in the country against what was going on. To the rang • iub- the most Important c.au—- were those which pernutted telegraphing investments on the totalisator and the publishing of dividend.—the first to increase their revenue, and the second to Secure greater ac ertising for their meetings. Mr W. S. Glenn Rangitikei , said he and others were supporting the Bill fur the purpose of driving the vice above ground. It was well known that bookmakers were established in the Dominion, and the only way they could be defeated was to divert betting into legitimate channels. Mr H. T. Armstrong (Christchurch liast i said be would oppose the Bill because he was satisfied it was not in the best interests of th»- country that facilities for gambling should be increased. One of the greatest reforms effected in New Zealand was the stopping of tii% practice of wiring money on to the course. This Bill would convert every telegraph office in the country into an agency for the totalisator. He moved as an amendment that instead of the Bill being read a second time now. it be read thus day six months. The amendment was seconded bv Mr J. Mason (Eden.. Sir Joseph Ward (Invercargill, said the law as it stood to-day was the result of the unanimous feeling of Parliament, both Government and Opposition, in 1907. That f/eling grew out of ten years of agitation against excessive gambling, which was leading scores of young people astray, and he could not see his way to go bark on that legislation. The debate was still in progress when the telegraph office closed.