STEEPER DOWNGRADE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 3, 5 January 1932, Page 4

STEEPER DOWNGRADE

TOTALISATOR DECREASES

WHAT FIGURES SHOW

When comparison is made with the declines in totahsator turnovers that hava 3ately been experienced by racing and .trotting clubs in the Dominion, the fig- , urea for the recent holiday" meetings might not appear to make quite such lugubrious reading. Yet if the comparison is extended to the con esponding meetings twelve, months ago it will be.found ihat the all-round decline has not by any means been halted, and that actually this year's decrease, in spite of the most favourable weather, has been accelerated and is definitely greater than last year's.

Twelve mot»ths ago there were a few pdd club* that could show an mcieaaed turnover on their meeting. This year there is 'not one. The drop has very generally averaged about twenty-five per cent., but in isolated eases it has exceeded ifty per cent. The. decline has been somewhat greater at trotting meetings than it has been, at galloping meetings. The table of turnovers for all race and trotting meetings (except the revived Oamaru meeting) held since Christmas Day, wifh the figures for the corresponding meetings two' seasons ago and last sear appended fot purpose of comparison is as follows:—

" No one was" so optimistic prior to the recent meetings as to expect that there would be any definite indication that the tura of the corner, so far as the depression in_the racing and trotting sport is concerned, was at hand. Theie is nevertheless .now a. feeling a.km to elation in «ome quarters because the decline has not teen greater than it is. The figures, however, carefully -neighed and analysed, give no ground whatever for any such buoyant optimism. Rather they point to still more troublous days ahead, particularly for clubs with fast disappearing resources. The percentage of fall in turnover's' is greater this year than last year for both racing and trotting clubs. Racing clubs have suffered a 30 per cent, rebuff, against approximately 24 5 per cent, last year; trotting clubs have fared rather wmse, for tnejr decline .has, .gone from 21 per cent to. approximately 28 per cent Ihe totai set-back itf 29 percent, this year, which does not by any taeans compare favourably with last year's 23.75 per cent. T.he totaluator JS often referred to as a barometer of the spending power of the people. It may bi» a rather ambitious claim, for the percentage.of patronage to total population is not large, nevertheless w*? 8/ I™^ setv«l-«i a'useful index. With due .limitations conceded, it la not «i« *w *uOil?4 s, o£ /*u\ deduction, to claim that the fable of totaliaator turnovers Jot the past three years sfeows not only that the people of the Dominion are suttenng a contmoous dram on their spending ability, but also that they are losing lie ability at a rather faster speed than in simple arithmetical progression. iron* the viewpoint of owners of raceHorses the position, is as serious as, or tV^tt, more sei iolV* thai>~it was twelve stis «,!"£' f s^ akea are now fio low that £i> } hest horses may be sent far afield, for prizes in all except important events are not large enough to compensate the expense and risk of travelling. Stakes thi»-year were offered on expected totahsator returns such as have been received Present prospects are that the expectations must be,for 30 to 40 per cent d^ rf!s£ bef y6lr> ' mat *en W?" ** the trip down "queer street" WiU.be ipver before the year concludes.

' '' \ RACE MEETINGS. 1929. 1930. 1931. £ £ £ ' Auckland - -... 352,436 282,588 197,983 Manawatu .... 119,7b6 80,845 51,746 Walpukurau .. 15,108 12,891 6,364 Weatland* .. 10,026 . 6,90S 4,741 Duaedln 45,5b2 33,315 22,991 Taranaki 42,317 30,489 22,272 Greymolith .. 20,712 '17,801 13,439 Waikouaiti ... 17,532 18,896 15,031 Wyndham .. 12,530 13,175 8,500 Wairarapa .. 84,083 39,832 29,972 Marten ,.4.» 49,743 27,333 14,578 Stratford ..... 52,069 36,632 29,882 Hawkas Bay , 41,207. 23,315 19,732 Southland .... 34,209 29,274 20,824 Totals. ..£867,36a £652,812 £457,555 •KiMt day only In 1930 and 1931. - . - - TROTTING MEETINGS. 1029. 1930. 1931. „ £ £ ' fl Gore- ...- 17,513 13,310 11,345 Westport -,i,.. 17,453 19,482 12,683 Ashburton ..... 2U31 20.385 17.198 S. Walrarapa*-. 9 654 7,485 5 141 Auckland .... 166,355" 129,873 85 471 Wlnton -.,..,. 12,573 10,027 8,207 Keefton 5,68!) 6,445 3 994 Canterbury Park ?l,060 51,940 42,090 Weatland -... 7,750 ■ , 4,363 3,730 .Totals -..„.£332,-580 £263,312 £189,922 . *«rrt day only In 1929 and 1930. Grand totals_ £1,199,940 £916,124 £647,477