17 JULY 1926, Page 15

BOOKMAKERS' CIRCULARS [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]

Sin,—As one of your subscribers who has been very interested in the course you have advocated on the Betting Tax, I write to bring to your notice a new procedure by a betting agent. For the first time I received this week a circular from a firm with offices at High Holborn inviting the placing of bets by post from ls. upward, or by 'phone from 2s. 6d. upward, on horse races or football games. With the circular were two cards, one giving a list of the horses running in the Derby race, the other was a calendar of racing events for the year. For years past there has been the pest of the money-lenders' circulars. Are we now to have a plague of these betting en- couragers instead ? Is there any course that could be taken to ensure that, if the Betting Tax is instituted, at the same time a provision be made to make it illegal to send these betting circulars by post or in other ways ?—I am, Sir, &c., Hadley, Woodford Green, Essex.

JOHN A. BOARDMAN.