TOTING A TOTE SYSTEM

NZ Truth, Issue 1146, 17 November 1927, Page 7

TOTING A TOTE SYSTEM

The Gentle Art of Angling For Easy Money

L W. WAKKJiiiN

• might reason- : ably be re- : garded as being a \ disciple o£ a bene- I volent gentleman ! named North, whose j intense yearning to ! provide his fellow- I men with a sure j system of malting \ a fortune on the [ racecourse took the ! form of the "Actu- j arial Method of | Scientific Totalisa- j tor Speculation" — a j mere £26 was all j it cost.

i f\F course there is one born | I every minutel Everybody I I knows that, though there are | I some argumentative people m I I the world who insist on working 1 i things out to decimal points. | I Take E. W.. Warren, of Auck- 1 | land, for instancel He wouldn't | | be asking ten guineas a time § i for "The Elimination Method of | I Scientific Totalisator Speoula- | = tion" if he did not believe m th« | I apt saying credited to the late | i Barnum. . 1 I• • 1 iniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiHiiiimiiimiiiimniiiiiiiimitiiiitiiiiiiiiiK:

"The originator,

a gentleman o f high mathematical attainments, with a great knowledge of racing: and the patience of a mole, approached the matter from the point of view of the statistician rather than the investor, and after analysing? eight years' raoing m every possible way — a task taking some fifteen nftmtha

After the publication by "N.Z. Truth" of some 'highly illuminating ■ figures showing the number of dividends the infallible system had failed to connect with over a period of twelve months, North went away to keep an urgent appointment m some other part of the Dominion — it may have been some other part of the world. With him, it was: "Anything but North, young man!" Now E. W. Warren, though every bit as enthusiastic m his determination to hand out racecourse fortunes for the paltry sum of ten guineas a time, is of a more retiring disposition. Not only is he an artist m hia line, but being a true philanthropist he is sensitive to a degree. Therefore he shrinks from personal contact with the vulgar herd, and that he may do good by stealth he works per medium of a post office private letter box. What if he does charge ten 'guineas a time for telling racecourse punters how to make their fortunes by means of his infallible system, T'he Elimination Method of Scientific, etc? Even a philanthropist must live! Besides it costs money to have printed aliractioe circulars on good quality paper and headed, "Strictly Prioate and Con. fidential. The iVen> Zealand Reinvest, ment Co, Agents for the Elimination Method of Scientific Totalisalor Speculalion." Then again a lot of work has gone into the writing of the circulars that find their way m some mysterious fashion to the address of racegoers. Warren conceals nothing m his wholehearted appeal to those misguided punters who stick a pin m the race-book, bet on omens, or on information straight from the horse's whiskers, except the details of the system itself. Another thing, he is not the kind to pirate the creation of another's brain. Here is what he says, and makes, no bones about it: — "From time immemorial the key to success m successful totalisator investment has been sought, and time after. time the turf speculator has been driven back disheartened, and sometimes ruined.

— arrived at a wonderful result. "It is the result of thlß patient and exact study of a master mind (Just like Mr. North! Only the latter discovered that the "master mind" he dealt with sold him a pup.) that is now embodied under the title of 'The Elimination Method.' " One must be quite fair to Mr. E. W. Warren. He does not claim to have labored with "the patience of a mole" for fifteen months seeking "the greatest historical discovery the turf has ever known." Incidentally, it. would seem that the originator — the "master mind"— must have carried out his research work m a refrigerator otherwise it hardly seems possible that his brain would have been so numb when he had finally perfected thia sure for-tune-getter as to part with it. Running through his appeal to punters to pull up before they "end permanently on the Poverty Path," there is that wistful, haunting note associated with the sound of numerous, crisp, new bank-notes whispering and rustling m some other fellow's flst. But this song of the turf, commencing as it does, with a lilt as soft and persuasive as the note of a c6oing dove, unfortunately ends with a jarring note of discord — "The price is £10/10/- and on receipt of this sum we will post etc.," the artist informs his readers. He isn't fussy. He will sell it on the lay-by system. One pound down and a pound a month. As early as April this year he advised the punter that as the profits had been so wonderful the method was to be withdrawn from sale. Then some eight months later his bulletin informed those interested, "We have yielded to the incessant pressure of various influential gentlemen on our list of members and have finally decided to withdraw the method from sale." For eight months, therefore, E. W. Warren has been putting up a' terrific scrap against the selfish determination of some of his clients to hog the lot for themselves.