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PROPOSED CANADIAN LAW DETAILS OF MEASURE ADVOCATED BY THE RACING ASSOCIATIONS Counsel Opposed to Miller Bill Point Out In Clos ¬ ing1 Argument Why Measure Is Objectionable Ottawa Out March 9 In the argument against the Miller Mil on Inhalf of the racing associations and breeding interests of the Dominion presented to tho parliamentary committee of inquiry by the allied compel who have been opposing the proposod ineasiire it was stated at the outset that the Miller bill was really that of Kov Dr Shearer who in conducting his campaign had not thought It necessary to seek information as to the laws in existence elsewhere or to learn anything of the conditions existing either in Canada or New York or auywhcreDr auywhcre Dr Shearers ignorance of the whole subject it was stated was well illustrated bv the resolution introduced at the General Assembly of the Presby ¬ terian Church recitals contained in which were utterly untrue and misleading The opponents of the hill submitted that the petitions for the prepara ¬ tion and circulation of which Dr Shearer was re ¬ sponsible were not the outcome of any informed public opinion but were founded on false premises ilid were obtained through the channels of churches churchesIll Ill an effort to raise a public opinion on the sub ¬ ject the counsel for the opiwsltion to the bill did not desire to cast any reflection upon the ministers of the church who had been induced to lend their names to the agitation fostered by Dr Shearer but they respectfully urged that the promotion of legis ¬ lation formed no part of the professional duty of a minister gospelThe of the gospel The bill as i rained would probably have the effect of making all betting or practically all bet ¬ ting whether lictweeii private individuals or between a private individual and a iMXikmaker illegal it was IHiintcd out All rightthinking nicmltcrs regarded extravagant or excessive betting as reprehensible but while the honest convictions of those who re ¬ garded all kinds of betting as wrongful were en ¬ titled to the utmost respect it had been recognized by tho promoters of the bill that public sentiment was not ripe for any attempt to force these views upon the jieople at large and that legislation could not go the length of making ail betting criminal but must confine itself to the regulation or limita ¬ tion of the manner in which it might lie carried on so as t curtail as far as legislation could curtail any evils thought to exist in the way of excessive betting bettingThe The method of regulation put forward by Dr Shearer was objectionable for the following reasons 1 It was impracticable and could not be effec ¬ tively enforced enforcedIll Ill An attempt to enforce it would rentier it im ¬ possible for those in charge of race courses to con ¬ trol the betting ground and would tend to intro ¬ duce an element which would shortly drive away the respectable holidaymaking sportloving public which now formed the great majority of the attend ¬ ance and thus destroy the gate receipts on which racing associations mainly depended to provide purses It would also deprive the jockey clubs of a revenue derived from bookmaking privileges It would have the effect of putting an end to many of the very numerous trotting meetings held throughout the country by depriving them of a revenue derived from the sale of bookmaking privileges 4 It would tend to increase handliook and pool ¬ room fHtting off the race course and would introduce u large volume of illegitimate and underhanded betting on nice courses 5 From vital injury done to Kith running and trotting racing it would seriously affect the light horse linnding industry of the country and particu ¬ larly would destroy the opportunity of making Can sida one of the important cavalry horse breeding units of the empire 0 It was of a highly experimental diameter and sought to introduce a principle of distinction which had not been attempted elsewhere elsewhereThese These propositions it was submitted were estab ¬ lished bv sworn testimony testimonyEvidence Evidence taken before the committee was cited to show that the distinction between professional and private or amateur betting was impracticable that the alK iition of the l o ikmiker at the race track would make matters worse instead of better that racing was necessary for the maintenance of the thoroughbred and standardbred horse to show the importance of the thoroughbred to light horse breed ¬ ing and to breeding remounts for the imperial army and the necessity of some form of ijnblic betting to the maintenance of racing on a high plane planeIt It was submitted that tin bill would have a very serious effect on to numerous trotting races carried 01 throughout Canada and that the prairie pior Inces which are vitally interested in the produc ¬ tion of the light horse recognized the necessity of thoroughbred blood in horse breeding and are strongly opposed to the present bill as likely to be disastrous to the industry industryCounsel Counsel for the opponents of the bill com ¬ bated some of the statements made in support of the bill regarding the alleged evils result ¬ ing from the race track They urged that in ¬ stead of adopting the bill as introduced the com ¬ mittee should report back to the house a bill based on the British statute of 11HKJ thus meeting the evasion of the law by hundlKK k nfen In addition provisions might be added prohibiting advertising publishing etc selling or supplying information relating to poolselllng or betting bettingThe The draft of a remodeled bill embodying these suggestions of tho opponents of the Miller bill was presented to the committee It proposed to amend the criminal code by providing that everyone is tiilty of HII offense who frequents or loiters in streets or public places either on behalf of him ¬ self or of any other persons for the purpose of book making or betting or wagering or agreeing to bet or wager or paying or receiving or selling bets that any constable might take into custody without warrant any person found committing an offense under this section and might seize and obtain any article liable to be forfeited under the act That the word street should include any highway and niv l nbllc bridge road lane footway square Ioitrt allev or passage whether a thoroughfare or t and the words public place should include i nidi c park garden or sea beach and any unenclosed Around to which the public has unrestricted access Tiinl should also include every enclosed place not lieing a public park or garden to which the public iJr a restricted right of access whether on pay i icnt or otherwise if at or near every public en ¬ trance there is conspicuously exhibited by the owners or persons having control of the place a notice pro tiiliitin betting therein Amendments are also pro lifted in the remodeled hill to prevent the publica ¬ tion or supplying of information relating to pool Illiir bookmaking belting or wagering and also iiniillng this exemption in favor of belting on in Ilriioralid rae tracks to meetings not exceeding tvielv davs in length and held not oftener than lucc a year with an interval of at least twenty javs between each meeting
