view raw text
GOVERNMENT IS IN NO HURRY Iu caucus last week tin veniiuent party aj proved of the introduction of the totalisator but Mr llolman the premier of New South Waies evi ¬ dently has no intention of being a party to any Imnuilialc legisliuim in its favor In fact his re ¬ marks of last week suggested that the longer auv totalizator lull was kept in the background the bet ¬ ter lie would lie pleased Interviewed on UK sub Jict by a representative of the Dally Telegraph the premier delivered himself as follows Matters jie jilade urgent and of pressing and firstclass im ¬ portance not hy a newspaper campaign but by tlie deiislon of those who have been elected by the people to carry on the government of the country There has been a mysterious recrudescence of ae tlvitv in several imHirtant newspapers during th lust live r six weeks in favor of the Immediate lntlY ducti n of the totalisatur Tin gentlemen who wrote the articles in those newspapers were do doubi thoroughly satisfied iu their own minds with their reasons fur urging this matter on They have rea ¬ sons no doubt for regarding the matter as urgent and I am the last man In the world to doubt that they are good reasons but whatever these reasons an they an known only to themselvs they are not known to the government and they are not knowito parliament This country has enjoyed the blessiigs of constitutional government now for the last 00 years In times of peaee quiet and content ¬ ment and has managed to weather through these 50 years without the tote We are now suddenly told I hut in the midst of war with problems of un ¬ employment of finance which the introduction of the totalizator will do nothing to help no matter what is asserted to the contrary and of maintain ¬ ing our nation existence the government is to In ternipt Its consideration of these problems and make this hitherto forgotten subject the corner ¬ stone of Its legislative program Those who say this no doubt have good reasons for saying it hut I have no reasons for agreeing with them Ths tptiillsator has never been au urgent question is not now an urgent question except to people who linv good reasons f r so regarding it The govern ¬ ment has Its hands full of uuestlons that are urgent mid has its mind concentrated on them When these Hlirstiniis are cleared out of the way there will be ample time to deal with other minor reforms such as are Involved In the introduction of the totalisator For the present therefore the arrangement is not in the hands of the journalistic hackers of the tote but in ours We propose to take the liiiixirtant ques ¬ tion first firstThe The fact of the Trades and Lalnir Council passing a resolution favoring the installation of the machine on the race courses of this state was mentioned and brought forth from the premier the reply 1 iMlieve myself that almost everybody in New South Wales is in favor of the totalisator There are minor changes in the management of our affairs which I believe almost everybody favors In some way but this does not make them urgent Minor questions must questionsMr not take precedence of important questions Mr Hotmails inference that a large revenue from the totalisutor would be of little assistance to the state Is certainly remarkable During the past year the New Zealand government directly benefited to the extent of something over 03000 through racing and it would not be Ion much to expect the return to he twice as great annually in New South Wales when racegoers became accustomed to tin altered system of speculation A million In five years sounds like a useful return but Mr Holman evidcutlv does not regard it worthy of consideration So far as the newspaper superiors of the totnlisatnr keeping in the background their reasons for urging Its legis ¬ lation Mr llolman is In error For several years past The Kcfcrie for one 1ms reiterated Its rea ¬ sons for advocating the introduction of the machine and others have done the same Which reminds me that Mr llolman has not yet committed to print his reasons for his aversion to the total isator hut as he says of Ms press supporters whom hp regards i having made a sudden discovery of the urgency of Its legislation no doubt they are good reasons Pilot In Sydney Referee of December 2
