THE TOTALISATOR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 148, 1 October 1910, Page 2

THE TOTALISATOR.

FROM THE CLUBS' STANDPOINT. Bv Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Friday. In his annual report to members of the Wellington Racing Club, the president, (Mr. J. B. Harcourt) ks lefeiemce to the . agitation for the abolition of the totalisator and the suppression of .racing. "1 wish," remarks Mr. Harcourt, "to 'acknowledge the valuable services rendered to the racing community by Sir Ge'or@6 Clifford, more especially in his recent memo, presented to the House of Representatives. In this document he points 'out that, there ate about 3400 hoxses employed in racing and trotting in New Zealand,' anld that .the annual disbursement on account of wages and Other expenses amount to about £653,144. He estimates that diuring the ' race and show week in - £50,000 is spent. From the returns of the various racing clubs it is estimated that about 240,000' ffedfrle in New Zealand attend race meetings, or, say, 200,000, and if each one of these people only put one ptrnny on every race it would provide"the 1 'ataiu&l sum put through the totalisator amounting to •£l-,868 ; 534. Thisi certainly cannot be considered an extravagant amount. The present agitation to suppress racing would mean throwing a v yery large number of people ■fou&tJof' employment and withdrawing from ..circulation a very large sum of jmpjrfiJiC 'toss to the people in busiimess -jjil.; t]i£ centres of population where the big meetings are held would be enornfaus. The loss, on railway traffic '•\/oilltf-' l also '' be heavy* These figures-';^' Vteij.'aStouri'dmgy and, considering ji^tey,ests ( {j;liat tare,, staike, it is the duty of "those who attend our :meetfhgi' f&d fenjeiy. ttetertaiiiment provided for them to together and are returned to Parliament whtfi'-wM pfevertt a wtong being done to.. t)ja fjiJfwjge f jsectiou 0f... the public who enjoy a dav's. pacing. It is' estimated that not less than 1-5,000 of the people living in WeHin^tbtf' attend race meetings, and,:*!. :these exercise VtTieir voEes in jdire?tion |>at election time men would be returned i who would see that s?,., large a section 1 »f r titev' jofi&dir pleasures, and undMbte&lyii: if i thewto-i talisator flWMysM.'a very .great wrong ,l wora« beraone* to' racing in flojroiPMb in rapinjg 'l?eep .the divjsion list of thMe r TV'M*Wced : 'f/l PMriaai'&t on the motiMt -for 'tli# i 'Ab{)litß(»i 'totalisator, and when the next eleqfcicth occurs this .division pg rgmejnbered."