7 FEBRUARY 1947, Page 17

A CURB ON BETTING

Si,—I think that it is Mr. Gilchrist who is taking the superficial view. (a) Betting and particularly football pools were well established before the war when there was no lack of consumer goods and interest rates were higher and income tax lower. (b) The 1,5 15s. a week man forms the backbone of the footbalt-pool support. An increase in consumer goods is hardly likely to prove a very effective deterrent to his efforts to %sin up to ko,cco for a lucky entry in a penny pool ; in fact it may merely serve to stimulate his efforts.—Yours faithfully, L. E. BALL. The Lodge, Culverwood, nr. Hertford, Herts.