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ACTION TO AID MTJTTJEL BETTING. Paris. France. June 22. — The French government is determined to keep up the pari-mutuel receipts and to prevent all betting except through the instrumentality of the totalizator. Since the law suppressing the bookmakers was passed in 1S01. the annual turnover at the mutuels steadily increased until the year 1MT. and the figures are so enormous that they mav lie found interesting and instructive. In 1801 the receipts were 0. ..02. 100. in 1S99 they had risen to Sll.irtri.tUo. there was a falling off in I.ton and 1901. but they rose in 1906 to over 0.400.-000; in 1907 they were nearly SO." .000.0041. but there was a falling off again in 190s. During seventeen rears over n.OOO. i04 has been distributed in charities and public works. The minister of agriculture declared to the senate recently that the reduction in the receipts last year was due to the bookmakers Iommencing to operate again t n the race courses. According to the working of the law. although no one was permitted to carry on a business as a bookmaker and accept liots from all comers, anyone might make a bet with a personal friend. Several test cases have conic before Hie sourta, with the result that a certain amount of toleration lias been given; but this is now to he snapped and the law lias been strengthened to stop even a series of friendly bets. A new clause has been introduced to the ffdlowing effect : •Whoever shall have habitually, in any place or unilii- any form whatevi-r. offered, given, or riccivod bets on horse races, either lireetly or fry an agent. renders himself liable to the penalties stipulated in Article 410 of the Penal Code." It will be seen that flic words "with all ivuners" are suppressed. IVopli- are not now allowed to bet at all. excepting at the pari-mutuel. An attempt was unsuccessfully made to get the word "habitually" struck out or modified. It is fully expected that some arrests will tie made before long, as several regular racegoers wish to take another test case into the courts.
