11 APRIL 1925, Page 18

CHEAP TARIFFS FOR BETTING NEWS

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]

SIR,—Cannot the system be altered by which we encourage, rather than discourage, the broadcasting of betting news ? I understand it is distributed by the telegraph department of the Post Office at a tariff that is only a fraction of the cost of the service. We arc taxed to subsidize this service !—I am, nr. Blackburn.

[We have been greatly interested to discover that the first letter which Mr. Bickerdike wrote to the Spectator—on the sensibility of the lower animals to pain—was published as long ago as February 26th, 1876. We wonder whether any of our readers can beat this record ?—En. Spectator.]