133

particular writer is improbable. On the contrary, the true effect of newspaper publicity of this kind is probably to induce those who intend to bet anyhow to make their bets on horses whose chances are commended by the papers. If this is so, or to the extent to which it is so, such publicity does not encourage betting ; it merely influences the direction the betting takes. On the other hand, there may be some few people who have a predeliction for a particular horse and, finding its chances of success favoured by some sporting writer or writers, infer that it is in winning form and so are induced to bet upon it. Such people must, however, we think, be few, and they must be persons already accustomed to betting. As an encouragement to those to bet who are not already accustomed or prone to bet, we think the present degree and even the present form of newspaper publicity is meagre. 372. Upon the whole, therefore, and having regard to the danger always inherent in any interference with the liberty of the press and' the inadvisability of denying to the public any information which it wants, we think it would be unwise to attempt to interfere by any legislative process with the present practice of the newspapers. SECTION S.—TRAMWAYS AND RACE MEETINGS 373. We were asked by one union of tramway workers to recommend that certain metropolitan clubs should be required to end their programmes at an earlier hour than they now do. 374. The topic seems to us to lie wholly in the industrial field and to be outside the scope of our Commission. We have not, therefore, embarked upon any consideration of the merits of the suggestion made to us.