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BETTING TROUBLES IN THE FAR EAST EASTThe The betting bill recently introduced into the Ren gal council is framed on similar lines to the measures passed some time back by the Straits Settlements the object of which was the suppression of betting houses and betting in public places The various clauses of the bill are drafted on much the same lines us our amended gaming act of 1900 which makes the race course itself this only place on which betting on contests thereon decided will be tolerated A new phase of the gambling suppression craze however presented itself at the Meerut Spring meet ¬ ing oir March 1 4 and when whatever enthusiasm there was amongst the patrons of that fixture OVPB the prospect of good sport was damped by the intro ¬ duction of a new rule that no iKtokinaker would be allowed to do business with ills clients on the nod and that all transactions would have to be in cash It was no doubt with the best of intentions that this departure from the existing custom was adopted one of the reasons given Ixjiug that the credit system offered great temptations to young otlicers to bet recklessly and that there had Iteen too many cases of otlicers who bad lost money Ixing unable to settle on the date when such debts became due The in ¬ convenience caused by the new rule early made itself niinifest on the opening day and considerably re ¬ stricted the business of the bookmaker whose best customers came without money and thus unprepared to back their respective fancies in compliance with the new order A similar rule was to have been en ¬ forced at the last autumn meeting of the Calcutta Turf Club but on a general protest being made by owners and public to the effect that they were not prepared to meet the provisions of such the stew ¬ ards camelled the order At the close of the first days racing at Meerut a strong representation was ninde to the stewards by both public and book ¬ makers asking them to reconsider the question and the majority of the stewards notwithstanding tin protest of General Pilchor decided to cancel the rule for the two remaining days of the meeting There was considerable excitement on the course on the morning of the second day and much satisfac ¬ tion expressed when the result of the deputation to the stewards became known but later it was announced that General Pilcher as a protest against the action of his brother stewards had resigned his jKisitiou as senior steward and had also with ¬ drawn his name from the list of patrons of the meeting The Meerut correspondent of the Asian says What the result of this action on the part of the lieutenantgovernor of the United Province is likely to be is not of course yet known but it Is said that General Pilcher will now sell off all his race horses and redre from the game altogether while restrictive legislation will be introduced In the 1nited Provinces and probably also in the Punjab From theway things are going It cer ¬ tainly looks as if the bookmaker will soon have about the same standing In India that he has In New Zealand Sydney Referee
