THE GAMING BILL

Waikato Times, Volume 93, Issue 14491, 14 October 1920, Page 4

THE GAMING BILL

PROPOSAL FOR COMMISSION. THE PROMOTERS SATISFIED. ' PERMITS FOR HUNT CLUBS. (By Telegraph—Special to Times.) WELLINGTON', Thursday. The Gaming Act Amendment Bill was berore the House of Representatives again last night. Mr Massey said he proposed to ask the House to pass the title clause and then he would move to strike out the rest of the Bill, including the proposals for the issue of 38 additional totalisator permits and to substitute a new clause. This clause would provide that for the purpose of determining the racing clubs to which licenses were to be granted next season, and the number of days for which each club should be licensed in each year, a commission consisting of five persons should hi; appointed to make inquiries and prepare a report for the Government, and the Governor-General, on receipt of this report would be entitled to authorise by Order-in-Gouncil the issus of licenses not exceeding the number recommended by the commission. Any Order-in-Council so made would require to be reported to Parliament within 30 days of the opening of the next session, and if either house disagreed with what had been done, the crder would lapse. Another clause would provide for the Issue of eight additional licenses to hunt clubs, so that each of the 16 hunt clubs might have one permit in each year. Mr G. Hunter (W&ipawa), the member in charge of the Bill, said that ho desired to congratulate the Government upon the announcement that tha Prime Minister had made. He thought members who had supported the Bill would be satisfied with the course proposed. He hoped that by the order of reference, authority would be given to the commission to increase the number of permits now in existence. He believed if that were done it would meet with the approval of those who had put up such a cood flcht in support of tha Bill on Monday night. Mr L. M. Isltt (Christchurch North \ wiio has been prominent in opposing tin 1 Bill, indicated that he was tiot satisfied with the Prime Minister's proposal. It appeared that the Prima Minister was proposing now to give five men, who might all be racing men, the right to increase permits. The Prime .Minister said he had in mind five good men who were quite certain to be impartial. They had a knowledge of racing or else they would not be of much use; but he did not know that any of them owned race horses. The commission would simply gather information and make recommendations to the Government, which, would have to take the responsibility.

A member: What about a limit? Mr Massey said that it would not ba easy to include a limit In the Bill. If the House inserted a limit, then that number of permits would be sure to become the maximum, since It would, be regarded as the number of permits by the House. The commission would not be able to report much before Christmas. He wanted the people of the country to know exactly what he proposed. After some further discussion Mr Massey moved to report progress in order to allow time for consideration.