18 OCTOBER 1930, Page 3

It is not said that the authorities of the Totalisator

invited this development. Very likely some ingenious person detected the weak spot in the Act and sent his money through the post to the Totalisator to test the possibilities. The staff of the Totalisator, in that case, may have felt that it had no right to refuse the money. We have no objection at all to the Totalisator prospering at the expense of the bookmaker ; but if this means that the Totalisator is going before long to have a turnover of millions we feel strongly that the State ought to receive its share. Gambling is the greatest of modern luxuries, and, as such, ought to be heavily taxed and proportion- ately discouraged. Mr. Snowden, presumably on moral grounds, repudiated all claim on behalf of the Treasury to revenue derived from betting. Under the Totalisator system race-courses are being greatly and most creditably improved, and money is also given to charities. But we must still ask the question, " What about the State ?" We have derived such information as we have on this subject from the Manchester Guardian, but it is patently a question which ought to be more widely discussed.

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