view raw text
CANADIAN LAW MAY BE AMENDED. Novel Point Brought Up as Result of Protest Against Long Meeting at Vancouver, Vancouver. B. C, October 14. The question of whether the pari-mutuel machines used in connection with betting on various Canadian race tracks are "disinterested stake holders" or not has arisen as a result of the visit of a delegation of the Vancouver Board of Trade to Hon. O. J. Doherty, Canadian Minister of Justice, in an effort to ascertain what can. be done to prevent a repetition of the extended race meetings conducted here during the past two summers in spite of the limitations imposed by the Canadian law, under whicli meetings held on other tracks are restricted to fourteen days each year. Mr. Doherty was informed that Attorney-General Bowser, of British Columbia, had said that . the restricting provisions of the Miller act could not be enforced, he holding that the pari-mutuel machine was a "disinterested" party to the betting. In other words, the pari-mutuel was the same as a strange stakeholder between two betting parties. This was a new view to the Minister, and lie said that while he was not in a position to give an offhand statement with regard to the alleged impossibility of enforcing the act, he would give it study witli a view to remedying it by additional legislation, so that extended racing and betting would be prei vented.
