The Betting Bill From first to last the Betting Bill
has been subjected to fierce opposition by the Tory right wing, with Mr. Churchill, especially in the concluding stages, taking the lead. A major concession to this group, representing those who dislike all-restrictions whatsoever upon facilities for gambling, was made in the original drafting of the Bill, by the omission to face the main _problems of off-the- course betting. That concession having been made, it followed as a logical sequel that the attempt to provide against football pool betting should be abandoned. The obstructors did not hesitate to invoke noble prin- ciples in their efforts to make the measure ineffective in other ways. Thus, it was in the name of the_freedom of the Press that they prevailed on the Government to weaken the clauses against newspaper propaganda in regard to public lotteries. And they attempted—hut this time in vain—to, establish an analogy between the powers of search granted under the Disaffection Bill and powers to search the premises of professionals engaged in the illegal sale of lottery tickets. The analogy was ingenious, but utterly unreal, and Sir John Gilmour had no difficulty in exposing its falsity. In making his debat- ing points Mr. Churchill undoubtedly scored, but only because the Government has an unfortunate record in regard to search-warrants.
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