BOOKMAKERS ON STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 765, 14 March 1910, Page 6

BOOKMAKERS ON STRIKE.

•V SCENE'AT; Ml RAMAR.,'".' , /; : V;";:;.;bNE ; MAN;MAKES MONEY..: ' .- {Strikes and rumours of strikes havi ,;. b&n |SO .prevalent that it hard!; -'■ came, as ,:asurprise when one" heard p ~-' a- strike among the. bookmakers at Mira .Bjar.:'on.;.Saturday. People arrive! \>. at. the course after, the'first race: weri surprised to,-see no spectators on th< ."buteri"/though the crowd appeared ti enough on*tie inside.'■ Nothinf ■".. butia few boards.and packages'.remaine( . on'tbe part ;pf. the .ground usually, occu ; pfed.'by the.,outside bookmakers. Thi "whole of the spectators were congregate! on-the'.inside,tie-majority, of : them .be ;-.iag;'Mustered round a solitary, •maker, struggling and hustling to'-:mak< their bets. : ; The cause of the trouble wa: .a'strike'among'fielders, who in the firs place' formed a sort of union, and ap :'. proached .the club; to have the -licensi " tees.'redaoea. ■'. They intimated that i: th«h ; club .refused to saccede ? '.to. .the'-, de < maids they would go on strike..". How ever, .after, hearing the bookmakers;..' th< ■■■ club.: absolutely;-,- refused, 'to:_ jaitertau : ■',the .demands. ,It 6eenied '.at- this stage.'a: ■:. if v the. meeting;might : .fall, "through; b'uj one of the; bookniaKers'.refuse'd, ;toV jo'ii .the-federation, 1 and decided-'jtp 1 '; thi .usual''license- fee; and do- business 7 ;oh? hi* awn .account. ■ He had ;a:'torrent,;b£ -.;o'p , probrium hurled at : , him ..from'; : 'a.'smal section of..the..remainMgi'ibctoldmakers and .occasionaUy, a ; handful, 1 ; of--,; smal stones .were thrown at him ;from-anion's the.crowd, but as : there was"-a-vfairlj etrotfg force of: police on the ground tin crowd did not feel inclined to becom( riotous. And what, a .business the book maker did! He: wa6. quite 'unable..--.fa take all the money that was,offered.'him and with no opposition the crowd' seemec . prepared to, take > any price.. Only ov actual'favourite prevailed in the fiv< .races,' and something like • .£SOO ;: mus; : have; found; it 6 way into the bookmaker'! ; bag; during the" afternoon.; In fa'ct, : thi! sum •.must.' be if ■ anything a '.low esti- '.. mate,.' for, with , two;..horses-;'.at ever : money -and'one at '.odds-on-.-injthe ;sam< race',:.;it would hot .be, necessary-: for "outeiders" to win to show'^a'profit" on th< book;' Probably" if-. the'/spectators hac been .unable; to' lose•their.'money.,",in this way/they would an'c ; invested some th< bookmakers who. "struck"' rKink"' that th< "punters" Vsbbuld be summoned for bet ' ting; with;-a .nonipriionist; . !while. , thi ; pfmfers, on' their- part','are:evidently.i-.b] :.opinion;. that;.the-bookmakers should•;b( for- inconveniencing .the. pub ■Jio,.and,-as a.matter of,- fact, -,not .a-'fei 'Jeff, the cpurse'. because.; they were un- ■ •able ; -to obtain;a wager..'..The'.meeting' i: said to,be the last,that will be..,held.'ol the'. club's, course., at .51 iramar,. ■ althougl the; Act abolishing pony'.Vracing does nol •come'.into; force for some.-two;.weeks yet