BETTING IN MELBOURNE.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1042, 30 January 1882, Page 2

BETTING IN MELBOURNE.

The Melbourne correspondent of the Otago Witness says : — " The statement seems hardly credible, but it is made by persons not usually given to exaggeration, that the public lost £250,000 over the late Melbourne Cup meeting. There can be no doubt that they were relieved of enormous sums, for the leading boomakers frankly admit that they count their gains by thousands, in several instances by tens of thousands. This gigantic national gambling has been felt in business circles, and hence the cry that the Legislature should interfere to moderate — it can scarcely hope to suppress — the betting mania. This has been attempted in two forms, one measure aniining at the suppession of racing swoops — the large transactions of Messrs Miller and

(oui'.-s<- -ar.'l the ■."•!■ rb" '■"" ;. ■ ;■■■ tion, or rather the lvroguii ;, -: ; !;. totalisatov. I regret to say that the latter scheme has been negatived, and the former is so Draconic in wjuld defeat itself. There is m> douH thaiI the gambling spirit is spreading with j f oaf ul rapidly amongst our youth. When young men in church will wager* as to which of the collectors will make the round of the pews most quickly it is pretty evident that they are strongly imbued with the prevailing spirit. It would be wise to try and check the evil before it outgrows control.