BEST RACECOURSES.

Shannon News, 4 January 1927, Page 3

BEST RACECOURSES.

NEW ZEALAND IN THE LEAD. After visiting many of the racecourses in many parts of the world, Mr P. Selig, formerly president of,the N.ew Zealand Trotting Association, who returned to Christchurch on Thursday, is firmly convinced that the New Zealand racecourses are among the finest in the world."In England, with the exception of Ascot and one or two other famous courses, they don't cater for the public at all," said Mr Selig <to a Star reporter. "They cater only for the bookmakers and the owners and punters, and the public gets no consideration. I was quite disgusted with the lack of conveniences for the public. They can see practically nothing of the races until they are almost finished." Mr Selig added that he was in England during the so-called bookmakers' itrike, when the bookmakers declared that they ware not going to make bets because of the Government's intention u introduo« a betting tax. It wa* amusing to him, because he could see the chance there was for introducing the totalisator. The Daily TelegrapU published about a column article dealing with the totalisator in New Zealand mid the Julius patent electric totalisator. "The bookmakers quickly came to their senses again after the question of the totalisator was me-turned," said Mr Selig. "They then decided to bet again and the leaders said that it was only the smaller bookmakers who wanted to strike. I was asked to write.some articles on the totalisator, but as I was leaving London then, I was unable to do so. However, I gave the newspapers as much information as I could about the working of the totalisator.'"