LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 276, 16 August 1920, Page 5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

TOTALISATOR PERMITS Sir,—There has lieen a great deal writ* ten and said regarding tho proposed legislation against bookmakei'6 and increased totalisator permits. Regarding the bookmakers, it is tho greatest possible pity that any amendment was made in the original Bill introduced by tho lion. Mr. Anderson, who is the first .Minister in tho Dominion having the courage to take this matter up against the strenuous opposition that is bound to be shown 'by this section of thu community, notwithstanding the fact that they were supposed to bo out of business years ago, and would liavo been had tho police carried out their duties properly. Attempts are being made to show that the clubs are endeavouring to get this legislation passed for tho purpose of increasing their revenue by larger amounts through t.lio totalisator. This is not tho easo in any shape or form. I do not believo any club in the Dominion is working with that object in view. It is the feeling of most of the clubs in the Dominion that by entirely eliminating tho bookmakers we will get cleanor racing, and that is, tho only idea as far as tho clubs are concerned. For a long time past tho Racing Conference have endeavoured to cleuu up sport as far as lies in thoir liownr, but till they get rid of tho bookmaker and his parasites the result will not 'bo achieved.

Tho Legislative Council propose to, niter the Bill to permit of betting by telegram on tho courses. This nould bo a most retrogiade 6tep in every way, and would bring a return of the "tote shops" that were so hard to get rid of some years ago, aad whicE were such an awful curse to the country. Befting by telegram means a disturbance in business nil over tho Dominion when an important race meeting is on, and only tends to encourage betting from a source from which it snould not come. It is a well known fact that, when this was permitted, the employees of largo manufacturing firms and departments had their agents and made up tickets for, tho day's racing among themselves, to be telegraphed 1 to tho totalisator. If this was not done, it was put on in the toto shops and telegraphed by them. Thoro could be nothing more demoralising than, this class of betting, as it is a direct inducement for those who should not bet to bet. It is in tho interests of racing clubs and the racing community generally to keep the betting exclusively to the particular meeting being run, and to those attending tho mooting. The telegraphing of money can lead to con« sideralile abuse, and is most objectionablo to tlio clubs themselves.

I understand Mr. George Hunter intends to introduce a Bill to increaso tho days of racing. According to a circular issued by Mr. Albert Bruce, of tho chairman of the Country Clulw' Association, it would appear Hint thes® proposals wcro emanating from this association. Now, this Country Clubs' Association is a little organisation, got up by certain individuals to suit their own ends because they were aggrieved bylcsing certain days of racing when tho Racing Conference eat. I venture to say there are not 15 racing clubs, if that, associated with this association, ana paying their donation of jQI. _ Mr. Bruce, in his circular of July 10, issued to all racing clubs, requests their co-operation in an Act to bo introduced on the lines of the Gaming Act, 1911. These ara people who make an awful noise, but have very littlo backing. The worst thing that happened was when Mr. Georgo Hunter introduced bis last Bill giving racing days to clubs tiiat had been put out by the Earing Ccnfercncc. I admit some clubs were wrongly put out, but some clubs were rightly put out, and should have stayed out. Take,, for instance, Waipukurau and AVaipawa: the Racing Conforcnce considered that Waipukurau, which had a good course, and well appointed, was quito sufficient for that district, without AVaipawa; four miles distant, having another club. Mr. Hunter's Bill gave AVaipawa baok its racing days; also Ashhurst, close to Palinerston North, and ten miles from Woodville, & good and well-appointed club. It also suggested licenses to clnbs that I do not think to this day have got a courso.

I have had ft long experience in racing and racing clnbs, and I ara quite confident that tho good clubs in tho Dominion would much prefer that there was no interference, directly or indirectly, in regard to racing permits at tho present time. The representatives of the Bacing Conference, of which Sir Georgo Clifford 19 chairman, did not wait on tho vlovcrnment and press them for increased racing. This is tho controlling and governing body of racing, therefore why should'a few discontented individuals, who call themselves the Country Clubs Association, 1# taken any notice of in making tho proposals they are doiugj It is to be hoped that Parliament will tako no action whatever in this connection, nnd leave racing as it is, and carry out Mr. Anderson's Bill.—l om, otc., • INTERESTED.

August 14, 1920.