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COMMENT ON MILLER BILL HEARINGS The hearings on the Miller bill at Ottawa have served this purpose so far that they have shown the value of the evidence of persons with practical knowledge as against airy theorists who are pre ¬ pared to sweep away one of our most important in ¬ dustries and greatest recreations to no other purpose than to exploit their views on what they assume to be a moral question comments the Canadian Sportsman Xo country in the world with the ex ¬ ception of Japan has ever prohibited betting on race courses It is asking rather much of western civil ¬ ization to model Its legislation on that of Japan but even taking the case of the Flowery Kingdom as an example it works against the gentlemen who are so solicitous for our welfare that they would send us to jail to keep us out of harm Japan tried the legal prohibition of racecourse betting for a period long enough to convince the elder statesmen that the new condition was worse than the old Promptly as they recognized this they took action to alter it It was decided that the government would promote betting instead of forbidding it and the parimutuel was adopted as the form A com ¬ mission was sent to several European countries to become familiar with its workings and the last stronghold of Rev Dr Shearer and those who are associated with him was abandoned The United States never took any action as the matter in that country is one of state nor federal jurisdiction For the personal political advantage of various poli ¬ ticians in several states the great industry of breed ¬ ing and racing and the great principle of individual liberty have been temporarily submerged submergedIn In all of these states the attempt to stop betting has quite failed There is any amount of betting in Xew York state but it Is furtive and secret The practice goes on while purses have been lowered and running and trotting meetings abandoned in many cases Perhaps the gentleman who drew up the Miller bill is a smarter lawyer than Governor Hughes of Xew York but that Is hardly likely Yet Mr Hughes made a dismal failure of what he set out to do and over there all the sheriffs and district attorneys who are charged with the enforcement of the law are under his control and authority In Canada the enforcement of the criminal law rests with the local authorities and in case of the passage of the present bill w should have it a dead letter in many parts of the country while enforced with all the unmerciful zeal of Inilfbakcd enthusiasts elsewhere
