RACING CONFERENCE

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8870, 22 July 1907, Page 2

RACING CONFERENCE

Defence of the Toialisator. Per Press Association, Wellington, July 22. ” The New Zealand Racing. Conference opened to-day Sir George Clifford, President, in the chair. In au address he said that all indications showed that the sport of racing had steadily advanced in popularity and those selected to govern the sport had *made every effort to secure the increasing confidence of its supporters. No trade or profession or pursuit which admitted of monetary profit had ever been wholly exempt from isolated attempts to reap the golden reward of success by forbidden or even fraudulent methods, but assuredly in this country the turf did not furnish an undue proportion of such cases. Attacks upon the totalisator were still occupying the prejudiced and misinformed. To the former argument was inapplicable-hut the open-minded enquirer would find little in the conduct of race meetings or in the effects of the totalisator to warrant the abolition of an amusement affording much innocent pleasure. The substitution of the totalisator for the bookmaker had lessened temptations and its removal would produce an effect diametrically opposite to that sought for by its misguided opponents.