Page 3 Advertisements Column 1

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 122, 24 May 1881, Page 3

Colored preachers may not always get the words of Scripture, but they generally understand its spirit. One of them wanted to quote the text, " The harvest is past, the summer is over, and we are not saved," but not being able to read he gave the gist of it thus : "De corn has been cribbed ; dere ain't any more work, an 1 old Satan is still foolin 1 wid dis community." The "Ring" and the Totalisator. — The " round robins „ said to be signed by all the leading horse owners and bookmakers in Australia against the totalisator, have been preented, and are a miserable disappointment. A few small bookmakers in Melbourne who own horses have signed their names, but none of the leading lights either in the other colonies or here have attached their signatures, and the clubs are not likely to be influenced in the slightest degree by the contents of these much vaunted "round robins." Of course if it, can be proved that the totalisator doe^' militate against the success of racing to any appreciable extent, the clubs may consider the matter, and do away with the machine, but up to now its most bitter antagonists have been unable to prove anything against it. In fact, the result of its working in this colony is a direct contradiction of the arguments set up against it on the score that fields are being reduced, owners unable to back their horses, &c. Directly the presence of the totalisator is found to prevent an owner from getting a fair stake about his horse it will be better for racing that it should be done away with, but it has been in use here now for more than a year, and complaints from owners have been few and far between. The public, too, must receive some consideration from the clubs and they will rise up in arms if their favourite mode of speculation be denied them. The subscriptions, &c, go a long way in providing the stakes to be run for, and unless the clubs can show fair reasons for discon^ tinuing the use of the totalisator its absence from our racecourses may lead to a quarrel between them and the public, and in the end the many-headed ■will do more for racing, and are, therefore, deserving of more consideration than the bookmakers, — Adelaide