THE TIN HARE

Hokitika Guardian, 26 October 1927, Page 4

THE TIN HARE

AFFECTING ALL FORMS OF spout. Art KI WIF Oct. ?l. “Sydney has gone to the .logs, ’ said Mick O’Connor, who is returning by the Aorangi fa I.m Angeles, lie is a well-known Imxer from Canada, who lias been over to Australia “looking for business,” Inn loiind that Australia had transferred its patronage from tile stadium to the tine hare co' rso.

"Two weeks ago.” lm said, “the Stadium authorities asked me li sign up for a Saturday night lout, hut they would not come to light with a guarantee. so the deal was off. They mad” other arrangements, and it was interesting to know that the gate that night was worth only £2!>. whereas not so long ago a big mat h would mean thousiiinls for the competitors.’' O'Connor added that tor last Friday night, which had hither! i been regarded as a lug night at the Stadium. the prnnmters had decided to introduce wrestling in an endeavour to gel hack the interest of S'adium patron u The truth was that evorybedv had gone to the does. Tin-hare moill t? had Svdney by the ears, ami night alter night the course vns cro del with men and women. Of course C>e great draw was betting with hookmakers. An attemit was Icing made to get a stop put to betting. If that were done the tin here would lie doomed, hut until the l> okmaker was put out of commission that sport, would

<outiinto to absorb the interest of tho class of people who used to throng the Stadium. Being of opinion that there i, more scope for a boxer in bus Angeles O’Connor is hound for that town, where lie is well-known professionally.

Confirmation of the vogue of the tin ham in Sydney came from Air A. W. Rand, a journalist who came across by die Aorangi to report an important conference ol the Federated Bakers oi Australia and New Zealand. which opens in Auckland this wees. Ho savs the promoters ol the tin-hare racing business are getting anxious as to the fate of bookmakers al these meetings. and if the la,ok maker goes the business goes also, as betting is the real at tract ion. The matter would he ,-on-idered by tile-new Government, and there was an impression that there was sufficient Influence to gel the betting banned.

Mr Rand says that tin-hare racing is a lie,-ting all forms ot snort, ami even amusement, as thealre proprietors were complaining that since its advent to Australia amlien es at picture shows and theatre performances were diminidiing. Tim racing clubs did not seem In he vorv perturbed, hut all tho same I here was talk of introducing night an ot mgs nl trolling club-, as a counter attraction Tin-hare racing was done at night under elect rie light and there was a meeting practically every day of the week.