BOOKMAKERS AT WINGATUI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2815, 26 February 1908, Page 54

BOOKMAKERS AT WINGATUI.

j-uere was a large muster of fielders at Wmgatui last week. Twenty-two paid a fee of £20 for the first day, and as they lmed up for the f*>y they presented a phalanx of money-bags that should have teippied punters. A remarkable paucity of business was, however, reported, and the day was not very far advanced when some of the" penoillers discontinued their efforts to lay on the field. One of the best-known and wealthiest Welders in the Dominion held £2 2s 6d on one race, and another p*r>minent man held £1 less, whilst yet another, with a .bag of wealth in yjew and a reputation of owning.* -farther ■> "wad of bills" hid in the ambush of nis breast pocket, achieved the feat of making each, horse in a race bear -exactly the same risk to his bank-roll. He never wrote a l ; ne ! Another Tield 17s *d. It was not astonishing that several discarded their bags -under the circumstances. The paucity of business was attributed to tie fact that the punters present did not understand straight-out betting, _ and in order to bring legitimate fielding in line with totalisator betting a few paid out 1-2 in proportion to the odds received by the taker- To the.'r credit, it must .be said, the fielders, as far .as could be cleaned, refrained from laying' the totalisator odds, which -would hava brought in plenty of business. Those doing the moat 'business did not hold much raonev, but still one er two took eoraparaii vel v biff risks, as 140 to 20 was laid in one hand" by a man whose volume probably did not average nearly half a century «. race. A good <3e«l of betting in doubles was dene, .but the ranks of the fielders thinned from 22 to H for "each of the remaining days of the meeting. One man obtained * license, and,' if, is^Brieged, left some oi bis clients lamenting." By betting over the otinero Ive raked in a fair amount of business, and also gave the -outside^. enclosure a turn. Th« club sould exercise a stricter supervision, ever those to whom licenses are planted. It is only fair to the public, and slso orotects to & certain extent the bookmakers who bet end *re prepared 4o pay. Tie Entfish Jockey Cub do not recognise Irookm&kei's in an official manner, and no doubt our" clubs -are desirous of following their exaxnole. Here, however, the conditions are different, and clubs should 1 either, demand a deposit as «. guarantee of good l faitib o- -else have * searching injpiirj made into the standing of each applicant for *& license. Some of the fielder* who Jcok out licenses for Winsratui and Taiun*. Park received such meagre j»tron«#e .at &c for* n>er place that they left Dunedin without waiting to be+ at tee latter track, although at meant the possible forfekaw of a 15-aruinea license. , Takinjr it all round, it would appear- ihat some -of the Jsooicmakers \rere thoroughly disgusted with Wingatui, and if is- safe to say that it he «ome time before 22 fielders will again be found attempting to lay the odds *t our metropolitan track if a big fee is required for tbe priviiege-