THE GAMING AND LOTTERIES BILL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LVIII, Issue 8943, 18 December 1907, Page 6

THE GAMING AND LOTTERIES BILL.

MR HOGG ON THE SUBJECT.

RESTRICT THE FUN TO THE

PLAYHOUSE

The final stage of the Gaming and j Lotteries Act produced a short hut sharp debate. We cull the following from Hansard :— Mr Hogg (Masterton) said he had supported the Government Bill throughout, and would briefly give members his reason. A number of years ago, during an election campaign, ho was speaking to an audience which he belioved was fairly hostile to himself, not far away from a raceconrso. After his address, when the time came for questioning, a young lady who was present- if lie was not mistaken, the local schoolmistressasked him this question: "Do you approve of all that goes on on the racecourse? Do you approve of tins gambling, and swindling, and robbery of people, and all the bad practices that are carried on there?" He replied : "Well, my girl, difforeut people have different methods of enjoying themselves. I believe in knocking as much pleasure our- of life as possible, and I like to see other people enjoy themselves. You have your own particular form of amusement; I have mine. lam not particularly addicted to frequenting the racecourse. Ido not manage to extract much pleasure from horse-racing, and I never bot. If you wish to pass through life pleasautly, you must follow my example. If you do not approve of what goes on on'the racecourse, do notgothero." The audience seemed to see the force of his argument. The chief object of this Bill was to get rid of the gambling that went on outside the course—in the streets, tobacconists' shops, and various clubs in tho large centres, whore the young people were temptod to gamble;* and" in this respect this measure must have a purifying influence ou tho whole community. He viewed tho position in this way: Here was a huge building ou fire which tho fire brigade could do nothing to save ; they therefore confined their attention to "saving the adjoining buildings by preventing the fire from spreading. Iv the case of gambling, their object should be to confine it to tho racecourse. If they could not get rid ot 'the totalizator' and the betting-men, they should, at all events, keep them in their proper place, where they could do no widespread mischief. He considered this w;is oue of tlio best measures, in the way of keeping the gambling evil within legitimate bounds, that had yet been passed by this or any other Parliament.