“GOING TO THE DOGS”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 363, 25 May 1928, Page 6

“GOING TO THE DOGS”

RACING IN N.S.W. BETTING UNDER THE LAP A serious decline in horse racing throughout New South Wales, but affecting the country clubs, much more seriously than the city clubs, is causing concern to those interested in the sport. Many reasons are given for the decline and not the least is the hold “tin hare” dog racing has secured in various parts of the State. Under the regim'e of the Labour Government licences ifor greyhound racing were issued with a liberality that was surprising seeing that the State derived nothing from the proprietary clubs which controlled the meetings. There are practically no restrictions on the dogs and no taxation. This gives them a big advantage over the registered racing clubs, which are substantially taxed. The Government has promised to put the greyhound racing clubs on the same footing as the others, btu so far nothing has been done. Illegal Betting More serious than the greyhound racing is the effect of illegal betting. It is stated that betting shops are now more numerous in the country districts than ever they were before. One small town is credited with having 22 starting price shops which operate quite freely, and in Newcastle the number of unregistered bookmakers is described as phenomenal. The country racing clubs object to carrying on the sport at a loss for the benefit of men who bet in conditions which amount to an open defiance of the law. In this regard the country towns are in no more unenviable position than Sydney itself. The trouble is rampant from one end of the State to the other, and the facilties for illegal betting in the city are remarkable. The Sydney “Sun” states that starting price betting has been so encouraged by the inactivity of the authorities that it now represents an evil of untold magnitude Butcher Boy’s Threepence Quite apart from the multitude of “shops” there are countless people willing to take a bet, from the butcher’s boy upwards—and downwards. The authorities are being called upon to get busy on the ground that if the menace is not wiped out economic disaster will overtake the State Quite apart from this the Government, to conserve its finances, must take action, for revenue is being lost in the way of admission taxes to the racecourses, and the totalisator revenue is being seriously interfered with. It is suggested that the Australian Jockey Club, which is paramount in the control of racing throughout the State, together with metropolitan racing clubs, should make an immediate appeal to the authorities to embarrass the starting price shops. Penalties should be made more severe. “It is difficult for the authorities to deny that prosecutions are all too infrequent” (says the “Sun”). “The facility with which a bet may be made is a clear indication of the manner in which the law is being flouted. In fact, the starting price merchants treat the situation with the utmost levity.”