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LICENSING BOOKMAKERS IN GERMANY. The following dispatch CO— ea from Berlin in relation to the decision of the Herman government to license hookma king in that country: "The Herman authorities have again capitulated Io what they term the ineradicable gaining instinct of the average person. After continued and vain attempts to put an end to promiscuous belting ou horse races, which involves a sum yearly estimated at between 90,000,000 and 00,000,000. they have decided to license Ixiokmaking In an effort to secure for the State a percentage of this sum. A measure to this end has lieen adoptetd by the federal council and is now awaiting the action of the reichstag. It is hoped to have il become effective in time for the Baden-Baden race- next August. ■Heretofore- the only form of betting sanctioned by law has been by ni.-ans of Hie pari niutuel machine. This, however, was available only to persons able to visit the race tracks. The result is that a vast arm J of bookmakers, estimated at ti.dOO. ply their business in defiance of the law. Ill addition, every barber shop and thousands of cafes and similar re-sorls harbor their handbook men. "Co— potent authorities estimate the number of business place- where wagers can be laid oa horse races at more than 209,000. Prosecationa for book-making increased from l.iiOO in I.hu; to 3,999 in 1912. For the most part they resulted in trivial tines or short jail sentences and the business went ahead just the same. The bettor, too. is outside the law. and has no remedy against dishonest handbook men or hush— altera who refase to settle winning wagers. •The number of licensed bookmakers is not fixed in the new — eaaare. but it is naderstosd that the govern— eat contemplates licenses tor aboa! fifty, scattered throughout tin- empire, each of which will be entitled Io establish branch offices to meet the demand. •Notwithstanding vigorous provisions against illicit betting, punishing both bookmaker ami bettor i the latter with tile, s up to 90, experts be Here that illicit hooka will continue to ftonrish. not only because the wag.- earners." clerks anil small-salaried men who today furnish the bulk of handbook custom cannot afford the minimi an stake of 2, but hffat— I [i tin- h.-avy taxalioli of the licensed bookmakers will enable the handbook men to offer better mlds. It i- provided that I per cent, of every bet entered will go to the government as an initial tax. and winning bets will lie mulcted with an additional tax of fro— ii |ior cut on bets al odds of 2 to 1 or ! ■— . in- P. Lo per cent, on the long shot of 20 to 1 or belter. "Li— iting authorized gambling under this law to horse racing, the government in its introduction to the Mil pronoun. id against betting on football and other sports popular with the middle and lower i la — i -. !•• save them fro— the gambling contagion."
