The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-07-05
GAMBLING GROWS AT
 FAST PAGES IN ENGLAND
Even the Women Have Become In-
 ment Trying to Curb Evil.
Falling Off in Immigration Due to Prosperous Times in EngIand- May Tunnel the English
 Channel.

Channel.
 London. July 5.-The spread of gam bling among the English people, both men and women, is causing serious and growing concern No measures yet have. been devised to stop the hab- 1t, which rapidly is becoming more and
 more of menace, On all big races practically everybody, from the news boy on the street to the peer in his motor, has something on his favorite horse, and even on the everyday race an immense amount in the, aggregate IS Wagered. LAtterly- it has been dis closed that women working in offices and restaurants in the city have be- come as inveterate gamblers as the men and boys. Nowadays both men and women, during the afternoon hours, are distracted from their work by their anxiety over the results of the races, and employers complain in vain.
 The House of Commons, with a view of curbing this increase in the betting habit, passed law prohibiting com mission agents from accepting money on bet, but this was easily evaded by the agents carrying wagers on a credit system, settling once 8 week. As the system works today any boy with a shilling to bet on a horse can
 
 get his money down. Another measure to overcome this condition was met by opposition from the workingman, who claimed for himself the same privileges and opportunities accorded his wealthy neighbor who can wager as freely as-he likes by either going to the track or telephoning his commits sion agent.
 The complaint is made also that gambling Is spelling golf. At most of O& play unless assaured of a good side bet on the result. It started with half dollar 8 round, but at some clubs game is seldom played for less than $25, $50 or even S1o0 a round. The professional, too, who gets his fee for wager pn the result. Even if he gives the novice all he deserves, the profes- sional generally can win.
 The proposal to drive a tunnel under the English Channel between England posed by military men on the ground that it would destroy the isolation of England, is now being taken up seri- l ously with a better chance of going | through than ever before.
 The advance in flying made in re- cent years has already virtually taken | away the advantage of isolation, but 1 even more than this the good relations | now existing between England and ! France have overcome the opposition | to the scheme. The government is be- | ing urged to take the matter up seri- ousIy; people who cross the channel | frequently favor the plan, and the rail | ways, who have to keep up costly | steamers for the channel service. are not opposed to the tunnel idea, for they know that with the abolition of the. much dreaded channel crossing by sea. passenger traffic would increase immensely.
 The president of the Austrian Cham Der of Deputies has decided to make a trial of an electric voting machine for use in the House.
 Each member will have two electric buttons on his desk, one marked Pro" and the other Contra On the wall opposite the presidents chair an indicator is fixed, consisting of 516 glass tablets, numbered to 516. These tablets are normally dark, but when a vote is taken each shows either white light, for "Pro,' or a red light for Contra Each member has a number corresponding to one on the board, and can therefor personally check the accuracy of his vote An apparatus counts the vote and the totals are shown on another indicator. If names aro required, they are shown on the glass tablets in either OS~7O | cret vote the glass tablet indicator is switched off, and only the counting apparatus remains active.
 The recent attack on Prime Minister Asquith in House of Commons, when a young man associated with the suf- fragettes threw a bag of flour at him. has again drawn attention to the awk- ward situation of the House in dealing with such interruptions.
 The House of Commons can sum- mon to the bar ana examine and cross examine those who offend against it's rules, but any proceeding of this kind must have the formalities of a trial and would involve the right to deliver to the House a speech in de- fence. In the view of the government, a defensive address thus delivered would be too big an advertisement for the cause, so any action along this line has been avoided. Of course, MT. Asquith could take out summons for , assault, but as he would then have to appear as a witness in a police court and would be subject to cross-exam- nation, there is no possibility of his taking this step. The outcome, espe- cially if there appears any danger of repetition of the disorder, is likely to be the closing of the strangers gall Iery, as was done last year.
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