TOTALISATOR SYSTEM

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 119, 16 November 1932, Page 6

TOTALISATOR SYSTEM

MUST FINALLY WIN OUT

VIEWPOINT IN AMERICA

From'the beginning "of that minute section of time o£ which we have any cognisance innovations have been unpopular with, .the masses. Early forms, of life would have remained in the paleozoic seas had changing circumstances not driven them out. Man might. still have been a forest animal had unfriendly neighbours not forced his ancestors to exploit their dawning thinking processes. Yet for all this, mankind, with all its wisdom,: still carries on the fight against innovations, however worthy they may appear to be. So the •:totalisator principle has had to battle its way into the racing ' field through the very thickest of speciously piled-up argument. Thirty years ago it began the" fight, and, although it has always ;been a winning fight, the battle is iiot yet over.: The advocates. of■■'- the anachronous system of bookmaking, a'system of profit and loss in which the bookmaker is always the profitmaker, are still spasmodically battling, and it will need a new generation.wholly ;to annihilate them. CHANGE HAS TO COME.

England .and America are two racing countries that have been very tardy' in making the change-over to the more equitable totalisator system;- This is what might have been expected, for- the old system was rooted; deeply there and was not to be eradicated in a moment.

England has -recently -swung .over in part, and now;, the totalisator is slowly but surely supplanting the bookmaker there. Another generation may have to pass, however, before the result will be' wholly satisfactory. America too has made a start in accepting .the totalisator principle, but chiefly only in the western States. However, it is certain that before long the! swing will also be well under way in the eastern States. The president of the Westchestcr Racing Association (Mr.;.J. E. Wideuer), speaking recently at a dinner of the New York; Turf Writers' Association, said that he hoped for an opportunity before long of presenting plans for a totalisator scheme to the New York State Legislature. Mr. Widener is also vice-chairman of the Jockey Club and president of' the Miami Jockey Club. THE PERMANENT SOLUTION. "Something 'must be done to help racing in New York State," said Mr. Widener, "and I would like the opportunity to tell the Legislature that a' permanent solution lies in the Australian totalisator. "Under existing circumstances we cannot hope for either the totalisator or mutiiels for two and a half years. Xinueh prefer the totalisator to the mutuels be-1 cause the totalisator ■is infinitely better and fairer to the public. "Since two and a half years is too long a time to wait for relief, it is my hope that the coming session of the Legislature this winter will permit of the passage of clarifying measures' that will enable the; public to back a horse without a lot of red tape. . < "I believe that New York racing witfi the totalisator and a 5 per cent, brokesago would bring into the State of New York the sum of ten millions of dollars yearly. I am only in favour of the totalisator if the State will take 75 per cent, of the net, profits, leaving for the association 25 per' cent, or less of the net profits. ."In New York wo have no desire to. make money out of racing, but we do, desire to keep it alive. I would like to show our lawmakers that in twenty-eight' years the Westchester Racing Association, which operates Belmont Park, has paid to shareholders .only three small dividends of less than 6 per cent, and that we have spenfin that time five millions of dollars." Mr. Widener was warmly applauded for his remarks, and when asked iwhen the initiation of his plans could be expected, he replied," "After the election."