TROUBLE OVER A DIVIDEND

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 178, 23 April 1919, Page 6

TROUBLE OVER A DIVIDEND

« . DEMONSTKATTON ON EICCAETON . EACECOUUSB... By Teleeranh.—l'resn Association. Christchurch, April 22. A demonstration that at. one time seemed to have ugly possibilities occurred on the Eiccarton racecourso after the Autumn Nursery Handicap. There were six starters, whose names were posted separately on tho totalisator, and the public assumed that, following the ordinary practice, there would be two dividends. A notico was posted on the machine blackboards that Sundance and Kilgour, though ostensibly belonging to different owners, were coupled, Sundance being raced-on lease from the owner of Kilgour. This eliminated a second dividend, but. for some reason the i.uthoritics recorded the investments on the two horses separately. Many of the investors were ignorant of the coupling, and when only one dividend was paid out backers of Some Kid, the second "horse, made a demonstration in front of the totalisator and subsoouently in front of the stewards' stand. Many of them invaded the course just as the.next race was about to start, and the police had to take steps to dear tho course. Sonic of (he crowd showed a disposition to bo noisy and argumentative, but the police handled the business 1 tactfully, and tlio demonstrators graduI ally reverted to silence.