SPORTING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVIII, Issue 81917, 24 January 1907, Page 3

SPORTING

WELLINGTON ACCEPTAXC ES. Per Press Association. Wclinglnii, January 23. Melrose Handicap. Flotilla 5.3. Probable S.O. Wirral 7.13. Grand Slam 7.11. Aeolus 7.4. Are Light (i.ll. Kelburnel Hack Handicap.—Silken Kcin 0.0. Truthful 8.5. Chatterer 5.5. Devouia 8.2, Southern Cross 7.13. Mrrie Rose 7.10, Flower Girl 7.10, Silver Shell 7.10. While Lie 7.5. Sipyius 0.7. Flint Gun 0.7. Saudix U. 7. Citv Handicap.— JSailarat !1.0, Pink 'Urn 8.8, Delamere 8.5, Golden Gate 8.5. Replete 7.8. Hopeful Stakes.—Finery 8.5. Happy Maid 7.0. Lanisdorll' 7.2. English Hose 7.2, Prison 0.10. Remark 0.7, Yasa 0.7, Tariki 0.7. Summer Handicap—Signalman 8.11. Giionrka 7.5. Pohunllms 7.8, Mystiii cation 7.0. Uyth'einaid 7.3. Sir Tristram 7.0. Grand Slam 7.0, Ivdcn «.7. Fontenov 0.7. Kaiioki Hack Handicap.—Full Rate 0.2. Kiiku 8.7, Maliulii 8.2. Cyivne 7.13. Sea King 7.11, Kaiuku 7.8. William 7.0. Sharkevii 7.5. Chicane 7.5. Seaman 7.3. Siinbnunci 7.3., Pylclilcy 7.0, Mcrriwn 7.0, Saga 0.13, SLcpiuar 0.8. Iliro 0.7. Pluck 0.7. Wallaccville Hack Hurdles.-Wind 11.0( Lull U.O. Paw.i 10.11, Outer 7 7, Liberator 0.0. Disposal Stakes. -Variation. Par don, Plavmate 8.5, Coxswain Gold Dredger, ' Miretta, Tckainui, Grand Circle 7.12. San Julie, Uavita 7.11.

ANTICIPATIONS. (By "Moturoa.") 12,0—Hack Hurdles, li miles: Lull or Outer. 12.10—Melrose Handicap, 7 furlongs : Wiri'al or Grand Slum. I.2o—lCelbirnc Hack, 7 furlongs: Mcrric liose or Devoma.

2.l(l—Summer Handicap, 1 mile Eden or Blytliemaid. ■J o—City Handicap, <S furlongs Pink'un or Ballarat.

3,10 —Disposal Stakes, 5 furlongs Playmate or Miretla. .1.2) Hopeful Slakes, four furlongs Finery or Happy Maid. 5.0 Kaitoke Hack, li furlongs Sea King or Muhulu.

TriiF TOPICS } 1 For some unaccountable reason, the 'I results of the races at Foxton ycslcrday were not wired to Ibis paper. 1 Achilles was accorded a great ovation ou returning to the paddock after winning the Wellington Cup. Since Tupono was purchased by Mr Smart she has started three limes and won on each occasion. 1 If Signalman could lie induced lo face I lie barrier iu a proper manner he j should vos<css a great chance iu the Summer Handicap to-day,

i AN JXDCCEMBXT TO CAMISLIXC. Alfred Jliirton wriles to the alitor ' as follows: ' Sir, -The. great and vital (|iieslion of the tniali.-ator is „,»•,■ move l„..|',,iv lb- public of Xew Zealand. I'd ilionhave been signed by hundred- of thousands of people' through ,hc length and breadth of Xew Zealand ■llll-illLi- tile l'!s| f,.„- |, (|| S r„ v pp. seiiiation to the Ibmse when il meets. and li:e ,|iie,ti« in no longer I, ■ shelved. Counter p.dilions have also been got up bv the race clubs aiulte.'iindheivnls "praying" for a c»niinualinn of the "tote." due of 111 -at c-t ai-unieiils agaiu-L Ihe "infernal machine." :,s il j„ ~,n,,|. |, ||,,; , v jll,. out dnllbi it induees liundrcls of VOIIIIg fellows 111 bet over their mean It is a wedl known axiom in ra.-in" and bell in... 11,,,: vi.ii .-houM plnv'liglil wiieii w,ur Im-k is mil. but ihe ma chine won't allow anvone to "i.lav light.'' The averag,.' working and business man makes up bis mind In go to the races wi,h four or live pounds in his pockets-,, M „„ ~„!;,, enough to lose. I'herc are eighi rae ■„ on the ]irogranime. ami he can't put le-s limn a pound on the "lot..": as much more as lie likes, but u > !e->. lie has bad luck, Kay. on Ihe fir-l three or four race-, and loses four . pounds out of his live. Whal hap i pens then'! Any person of ordinary i intelligence would say at once. "I ' must pull in my horn's; that is too f much to lose." Consequently he only 1 wishes to put a few shillings on the " | next race, but tire 'Tote" wou'i allow ' [ him to. It must have his last pound Or nothing, fJCbjeH if he loses that he

! 'Has no pos.-vble Jehanco (if rqeoveS-y j and goes luiinc "hrtike," whereas if iic were able lo only risk a feu- shillings nt ii time )„-. could so,- the Jay out, and have a chance of getting his own hack. I'.iil, no, his liver is gone, and the -hue" has put ten shillingof it. which never comes to light. And what happen,. I ,e, happen* to tens of thousands in Xcw Zealand on illbig race days. So few have (he moral courage to .-top when they have lost .wo oi- Ihi'ee pound-. Tne exeit•nieiit of racing and (he false inducement of big dividends makes a man reckle-s. anil food, Hollies, wif ■. e-hil.l veu, ami rtvcrv'bodv els.-, can go in Hades for I lie iime.'so hues- as he gels his la-t pound on the "lot-." \„w. this slnmld not he. a- i! is practically criminal in its ell'ocls and makes many bright and promising men to steal in order io keep l!i-ir horn.-, togoiher. Then come ex,, suiv and ruin: In.! lie- -i.d"" has got his inoncv all ihe time, and kc-ps on ringing fir tn.o--. Amili:.'!' lii-ioU' element a!oo; ill."lote" i- the amount of deceit and king indulg d in In- one and another to keep the dividend lip. A nice education for [he vonlh of Xcw Z"a'and whe.i broi'.er will deceive In-oth-er and son will deceive father for thsake of a few paltry siiidini;- or two nioi- en ihe dividend. Then (here is Hie fallacv of hi;; divid-mls. Wln-n tecre arc only a conp'e of Cckcls on great :.oii" i.-iaaie alum! I'e dividends as a feature in favor of Ihe "i'.lo" l.tn people for-rc: lo led von dial lia-l one hundred peopl• hacked liiat horse thdividend would onlv have lieen two pounds insica.l of avii himd ed. \V • will lake now (he hir-ines- ,„• linaneial as|,ee! of .he machine. Say there are ten thousand pounds put through findue day's racing. Ten fhoiisanJ do not cone- hack lo Ihe pnhlic. Oh. dear, no! Onlv nine thousand arc dis tribute,! aiming the public. One thousand is gone for ever, gone (o feed up the race chilis and the Government, •and as flic (loverninent g|.'t nciViiV one hundred thousand for their share of the nereeulage last year (put ill Ihe Statement as '•sundries"), it follows ■Mint (lie race clubs g,,1, (lirehundred Ihou-nnd. making four hundred thousand pounds ill one year, that the workers of New Zealand are called on to contribute to a gamliliug machine for which tlicv never get a shilling back. This with other calls in lids heavily taxed country keeps the man of small mean's with his nose to the grindstone all (he lime. Another ilcm that everyone has not reali-ed is that- when a man puts his pound on tae machine he is veallv onlv putting eighteen shillings on; ' that is to say. that he can lose a pound each time, liu! when he wiuhe is only gott'ng back eighteen shi'. lings for one pound, and as the racing goes fni every week in the year in Xcw Zealand, il is easily understood what an enormous si vain is on the liuances of the small investor, and in I'aei on every one who backs horses. I now come lo the vexed question of •'•crook" running, or. to put it plainly, absolute swindling. Til nine eases

out of ti'ii flic ownor is wnlchiiiff 111. 1 machine or listr* a tout lining so, and if flu' public hack a boise that lias liooii performing well, lie will proliah ly onlv lie paying a couple of poumb oV so.'Tlrorofoiv tiui owner will say to himself. "They are rushing my horse and if 1 put liftv on him now. f liave "of to take a thirty shilling dividend. Thai's not good enough for mo." So off hj,. goes, and gives the jockey in- , struofions to "pull'' him. and flic public are nibbed just as much as if he had picked i heir pockcls. Yet you on n't. blame the owner so much because the pernicious system of the "tote" won't allow iiim to pet a fair price about his horse that he has perhaps paid a high price for and which i lias cos( liim hundreds of pounds in keep and feed. The "tote' 1 has also , increased gainliliiiL' by milking it respootable because 'it is legal. Women ' and children are seen betting by the ' hundred now, and "making up" tic- ' kets on the machine. Then the clerk ' or shopman who would be reprimand ' ed or discharged for indulging in bet- I ting in countries whore there is no

"tote" now walks boldly up to the niachine umler his employer's litis. 1 and coolly puis his pound or "made ' up" ticket on. Another inducement! to over bolting., is wiren a person can't iiei anyone to "make-up" a ticket with him he goes the whole hog and most likclv cannot logitiinatolv affuril it. And now a, dolicale question to disoti-s. but which mils:, be refer rod to. N (he temptation to "iiilo" employees anil e.uinectiioiis 'io "ring in" extra ticket- on horses thai net away well or appear to be winning. T would be very sorry io say (hat il is 11 general practice, but if is done at limes. The greatest complaints ar.' made of <r King clubs, and in Auckland I have witirssod some very disgraceful scenes at trotting meet ings in connection with the dividends; and (Imi'o are i'-o'atod eases of unfair practices with the dividends even at the "legitimate" clubs. Howeier. there are signs of the times that tip tote will have to go, and when the on ormous petitions that have been sign ed against it nr> presented before the Hon-" the situation will have to be faced, and settled one way or the other. I venture io predict (hat before the next election the clarion voice of live people will shak- tile mighty ''tote" to its fall, high though it now sits on gambling's awful throne.