TOTALISATOR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1341, 19 January 1912, Page 5

TOTALISATOR.

I THE N.S. WALES COMMISSION. ! i IN WELLINGTON. I MR. POLLOCK'S EVIDENCE. DEFENDS MACHINE. The Now South Wales Totalizator Commission coiiuiiuiil'uil active o|>erations iu ■Wellington yesterday, when it sat to licar evidence, in the Government Whip's ! room; at Parliamentary Buildings. There were present: l(r. K. M. Levien, •■ M.L.A. (president), the Hon. W. M'Court, M.P., the Hon. .las. Wilson, M.L.A., Mr. • Kobt. Hollis, M.L.A., Mr. Henry Peters, M.L.A., Mr. H. BruntoH, M.P., and Mr. • T, C. L. I'iUpatrick, M.l'. The whole • of the afternoon was spent in taking tho i evidence of Mr. J. }]. Pollock, bandi- , capper to the 'Wellington Earing Club, . and u member of tho board of the New i Zealand Trotting Association. Mr. Pollock stated that he had come ; to tender evidence at tho instigation of • the president of his club. His couuec- » lion with racing had extended over a I period of forty years. He had ■ raced - Horses, both prior to and siheo the ini traduction of the totalisutor./ Before tho . totalisator was legalised iii Now Zealand, ho coutinueu, a considerable voijimo ot wagering tooic place per medium ot J bookmakers, 'ihe buik of such business was ante-post betting, wliicli, being on • tUe ,,'-'-''|!'" system (pjay or pay), was 3 mostly disastrous to tho public outside ot those possessing the conlidenuo of the • leading racing staulos. Most of this business was transacted' on credit. The principal cash investments in those davs were iu the nature of "Calcutta," and "JJerbv" sweeps. J n the "Calcutta" sweep a number (say, IOOj of sporting men would contribute each .fit to a general lund. Horses l were then drawn. It there were 20 horses e m tho- race and 100 contributors, 80 peon e would draw blanks, and twenty , would draw horses. Each contributor 1 who drew a horse submitted his interest e to auction. If an interest realised Jt2o u sum of J.'lo would bo placed iu the t general fund, and the person who had. D drawn the horse would get the other .till. Usually ten per cent was taken to pav e expenses. , 1 These "Calcutta" sweeps used to be in" vogue- at all the big meetings prior to tie introduction of the totalisator. In the "Derby" sweep each contributor retained what he drew. Prior to the iun traduction ol the totalisator these sweeps were not illegal, and wcro a very popu--6 iar iorm ot speculation on horse-racing. Tho stakes offered prior to the introduction of tho totalisator, Mr. Pollock continued, were small. - In those days tho Canterbury Jockey Club's handicap —now known as the New Zealand Cup— ! was worth 200 sovereigns. Now it was f worth ,£2OOO. The Canterbury Derby,' then worth .£IOO, was now worth JSIOOO » or .£1250. The Auckland Cup was then worth only .£l5O, and tho Derby only .£IOO. Tito Wellington Cup, then" worth .£2OO, was now worth .£BSO. ■ The Wellington Derby, in the 1 davs before the totalisator, was worth .£IOO. There was no Derby now in Wellington, but in the t Wellington Stakes, for two tind tliree--3 year-olds, the stakes ; wcre .£550. t Although tho standard of the horses, competing in tho pre-totalisator days, was high, the stakes were not commensurate with the quality of the horses. In those days few men of moderate means indulged in racing owing to tho slakes not being commensurate with the expense of racing. The totalisator was introduced about t 1877 or 1878. Its introduction quickly . brought about an improvement m the stakes offered, and also enubled the racing executives to provide appointments B for the convenienco of patrons of racing. 3 In the early days, sometimes, a bullucK- . dray had to servo as a judge's box.. (. Even though famous horses were running, all the appointments were primitive. Also following tho introduction of tho totalisator, racing studs wcro formed. Amongst those who started them were Messrs. E. G. Griffiths, G. O. Stead, and. the New Zealand Stud Company, with its headquarters at Auckland. These people imported high-class mares » and stallions. , As another result if the introduction of the totalisator, the stake muiiey: in classic and handicap races was increased 5 whilst the entrance fees payable by own- - c-rs to clubs were' reduced. In the old 3 days, owners contributed the greater part j of the stake. It cost as much to start • lor ..£IOO iii ..those days as it cost an . owner to start for a stake many-fold , greater now. Tho breeding of thoroughbreds, from l>eing confined to a few, became a hobby followed by many wealthy men. A good class of men also began to participate in racing. Many of them ran racing t studs and followed the sport without any great bopo of pecuniary gain. Mr. Pollock said that he had been told person--3 ally by the Hon. J. 1). Ormond, Sir , 1 George Clifford, and the late Mr. O. G. ! Stead, that they were always pretty well - satisfied if the money which they won . equalled their expenses at tho end of i the year. As to the popularity of the totalisator, said Mr. Pollock, Ills' number of its ■ patrons was iiiiereashg annually. Credit betting—the system that had uhiaiucd . before the totalisator—had decreased. - With that increase iustnnces of men get- ! ting into deep water through hctlin;: . trnnsactio.is had disappeared. There asms no doubt thai, under a sysJ tern of credit betting, men sometimes • overstepped the mark, liacing' men rca--1 lised that the slakes now offered were valuable enough to race for without the necessity of their having to Ik-I: heavily on their horses. They also realised that, although they obtained, in many eases, shorter odds they got a start for their money by betting on the totalisator. Cn- - der'the'old ante-post betting, there was > no guarantee of a start. . > Having closely watched horse-racing for . many years, he realised that it would . always be accompanied bv betting. Very [ few people would deny this. Ho tnaiii- ' tnined that wagering through Ihe medium I of the totalisator was the most equitable i for the horse-racing public and clubs. I A Statement Repudiated, Mr. Pollock next referred to a statement reported to have been made before the Commission, at .Auckland, by a clergyman. The statement was that. New Zealand racing clubs using the totalisator sent out touts to collect money for investment on. the totalisator. * ■ ■ Tho chairman and other members ex- , plained that tho statement had not been made. Mr. Pollock remarked that ho had intended to say that the statement was absolutely absurd. Monibors: Wo see that. In further evidence Mr. Pollock staled that the men employed on tho totalisator only undertook their duties at 10.M a.m. . or 11 a.m. on the day of a race meeting. Often they commenced their duties even later. No money whatever was "rung in" on the, totalisator other than that handed to tho employees engaged by the club to I ' work I ho totalisator, through the rec.eiv- i ing windows. At one timo tho law had \ allowed poople to send telegrams, say, ( from Dunodin to Wellington, instructing , that money should be invested. Tho: law , had been so altered that this was now a criminal offence. .Going through New Zealand, Mr. Pollock continued, the cammission would everywhere- seo mouumenls r lo tho totnlrsator, in the shape of club c appointments, j An Incorruptible Machine, ' Tho chairman: Do you think that the totalisator in any way induces <i man to ? pull his horse, or tho jockey to pull him, f or do you believe that they go str.iighU-r ' now than in the old days? c Mr. Polio'.k: That question seems to be very easy to answer, because the tota-lisa- r tor is an automaton. It cannot bo up- i: proached by jockey, trainer, or horse- I owner. Clearly, if there is any corrupt s practice indulged in it cannot bo assisted by Hie eonniv.uicc on-the part of tho-su working tho totalisator. " The chairman: That is not quite whnt v I want. The totalisator iteolf cannot be c manipulated at tho instance of tho owiwr, c ( trainer, jockey, or anyb.nly in. connection v with it:—"No." Tho chairman: Could an owner, trainer, (1 jockey, cr anybody connected with a n Btablc za in mid a&k ajiylwdy to. mani-1 t:

pulate tho machine in an,T vrif ty favour tho odds or favour his horse.'' Mr. Pollock said that (his 'was absolutely impossible. The whole staff of tha totalisator would have to be corrupt before anything ot (ho kind could happen, and it would not last for one race, bocauso it would bo appE.reiit to the veriest tyro on the course. Tho chairman: Did you ever hear of ila being clone for the owner's sake? Mr. Pollock: 1 have never heard of its being done in my forty years' experience, To another question by (ho chairman, Mr._ Pollock stated that he had been a professional handicappcr for about eight years. Answering Mr. M'Court, Mr. Pollock said that in all lib. experience ho had heard of no complaint from the public in regard lo the 10 per cent, commission levied by the clubs. He considered that members of Hie public recognised that I hey got a reasonable return for the commission in the improved appointments of the clubs. Though more individuals engaged in betting now than formerly, he did uot think I hat the average betting bv individuals had increased. He was absolutely 'opposed to the control of racing by proprietary clubs in New Zealand, He would prevent Ihe use of Ihe tolalisuby proprietary clubs. To the chairman: Ho would also oppose the admittance of the bookmaker lo courses controlled by proprietary clubs, i'o tiirlhcr questions, Mr. Pollock replied I hat, assuming (hat corruption existed, it could be more easily brought into play where bookmakers existed than where belting was restricted to the totalisator, Mosl decidedly the totalizator had increased Ihe number of men who hud breed'ng studs. The introduction of the totalisator in New Zealand had hud an enormous.influence for good upon Ihn bleeding or horses in New Zealand. At the piuscnl time there were cab horses in Uirislchiircli which could cover the miln m 2111111. :>o.*c. The second dividend was oxcwdinglv popular will, (ho small punter; bul he did not think it was popuar with arger investors. He did not think that gambling or belling was a profitable lliing, and anything that was not profitable was not good. Increased Betting Not Serious. ..An'S 1 , W .' l "'ther he did not think that tht .1(50,0011 increase in belting- ,'„ x w £ ra _ '"'Hi <h;nng the past nine years serious, Jlr.. Pollock said that .to him (he lignrtß indicated thai there had been a considerable increase in the iiopularilv of racing. In his experience tho majority of people, who went: to a race meeting went ,to have a sma 1 bet, but he did not think that the volume of belting per individual had increased. Courses and access to courses had been greatly improved of lato vean and many more people than formerly now attended the meetings. Another question was: The betting in New Zealand per head of population, in 1001-2, excluding M.wris, amounted -to 10's, Bd. -In JDIO-11 (Jm;amount of betting per head was £2. Does not that represent a serious increase? Mr. Pollock said he did not view the position with alarm. Monev had been very plentiful ,in New Zealand during the past ten years. In his opinion it was only surplus pocket-monev (hat went over the'totalisator so fur as the -general publicwore concerned. This did not applv to owners of horses. ■■■■-.' Mr. Pol lock said (hat he would credit many bookmakers with a. genuine avoidance of bolting with youths and minors. Ho did not think that tho totalisator wius a very -great temptation to a- man to bet on it who had not the money to spare. Tho introduction of tho totalifator in New South Wales would not tend to reduce betting; but would possibly tend to increaso it. He was prepared to. ljclieve that a certain amount of uhte-post liettin r went on in New Zealand. Some meu in the cities might bet on totalisator odds. Of- course it was all illegal. An Enormous Revenue. Asked what the clubs would do witk their enormous revenue after they- had provided all necessary appointments, Mr Pollock stated that the clubs' were compelled, to give away in stakes every-shil-ling that they received froiii the totalisator. It appeared to him that if they kept on increasing the stakes' in this way they would increaso out of all proportion. .Mr. Pollock said that he liad always held the opinion that properly-conducted sweeps were not harmful. No legislation would prevent,, people indulging in gambling. As an official, lie did not favour permitting lwokmakers to ply their calling outside tho racecourses. Jle did not think that racing in New Zealand could go on to any extent if the totalisator and bookmakers were both abolished. v The racing public, in his opinion, were very well able to look after themselves. Experience had demonstrated. Mr. Pollock stated, that it was a matter of the greatest difficulty for the police to obtain convictions.against bookmakers for illicit betting. In'his opinion i\6 fairer' or cleaner system of betting could bo inaugurated than that of tho totalisator. Supplementing an earlier statement, Mr. Pollock remarked that at about the time when betting in New Zealand started to rapidly increase, stringent stops were being taken by the racing clubs to put down totalisator odds hotting by bookmakers. Dozens of bookmakers were excluded from the courses, and the result was that nearly all tho money passed over Hie totalisator and went .to swell the totalisator total. Having concluded his evidence, Mr. Pollock was heartily thanked by the chairman for the information ho had afforded the Commission. It was then decided to adjourn..until ten o'clock to-day,' when further evidence will be taken. TV president (Mr.I.evicni wishes it. to lie known that the Commission will br> glad to hear evidence oifhor from those who are opposed to Imv totalisator or fiom those who desire that if should bo retained.