The Daily News. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20. WILL RACING GO?

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 195, 26 November 1910, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20. WILL RACING GO?

The Attorney-General is quite willing that racing shall be wiped out, together with its "twin brother," the totalisator, but one may be allowed to question the sincerity of the learned barrister's belief that a referendum of the people of New Zealand might effect the death of the sport or business, or whatever one cares to call it. By the discussions in Parliament it is obvious that opinions differ. There are, for instance, in the ranks of the Ministry men who are sturdy champions of the liberties of the bookmakers, and appear to be retained as counsel for them. Two members of the Legislative Council, Sir Geo. McLean and the Hon. J. D. Ormond, both large owners of racei horses, agree that there is nothing in racing for the money. This being so, racehorse owners must run horses in a spirit of pure philanthropy. Sir George said he had never bet a shilling in his life, and appears to regard betting as an unnecessary adjunct to racing. The Attorney-General's hope that racing may go, if sincere, may be based on a belief not that horse-racing is evil, but that betting on horse-racing is wrong. A clerical member of the House lately referred to horse-racing as "this magnificent sport." The narrowest-minded person in the world could discover nothing, except the speculative element, to object to in racing, and a cherished institution might be maintained if the betting were entirely eliminated. Every person, however, knows that as long as horses race bets will be made on their running, whatever laws exist or do not exist. The Attorney-General knows that if he were to devise a Bill—and he is a notable builder of Bills—to wipe horse-racing out of New Zealand he would become unpopular. There is probably no man in Parliament who, if he has the courage of the conviction that racing is a national fester, will really fight for its entire abolition. Parliament will talk all round the subject, but as for taking definite action that is an entirely different matter. There seems to be a disposition to come to the end of the session without even deciding the fate of the bookmaker. When the first Bill appeared; there was a general belief that the bookmaker had just about pencilled his last entry, but the intricate clauses dealing with the odds gentleman, even if they became law, would -certainly not kill the bookmaking industry. It would be a most difficult thing to kill it., and there is no real organised attempt in Parliament to kill it. The'disposition of Parliament is to make a tremendous mouthful about the reforms is is going to effect, and to stop short suddenly before effecting them. On the whole, the pretended attempts made injXew Zealand to put down gambling have been pathetic in their uselessness, and no one seriously believes that gambling will have diminished by next November, or 1913, or any other date. Parliamentarians who appear to be convinced that gambling on horses is the prime sin of the New Zealander might try moral suasion instead of legislation. You can't legislate a human instinct out of a people, but Dr. Findlay might try his eloquence on the masses. If he would make a tour of both Islands, giving his reasons why racing should be wiped out, and proving his sincerity, he might wean the population from its sin. Even the bookmakers might be amenable to reason if gifted reformers personally appealed to them to give up their calling and to get work. While there is a possible "something for nothing" in the game of horseracing, one foresees that even if the business diminishes it cannot successfully be fought Dy legislation, unless a truly moral policeman is detailed to watch every bookmaker night and day. The fact remains that if the bookmaker is nominally wiped out by law, this week, next week, or at any future time, every other method of speculation on horseracing should be deemed to be a sin. Admitting that the bookmaker is an incubus, an expensixe luxury, and of no real productive value to any country, one must admit that the machine is in the same category, the important difference being that it bets in larger amounts, and is not leather-lunged. The persistence of the people in following the golden calf is emphasised every day in the enormous correspondence that takes place between this Dominion and Tasmania. It has been found absolutely impossible to prevent Tattersall from carrying on business, and, in effect, this form of speculation is as harmful as the "books" or the machine, especially as the element of sport is entirely eliminated. If Dr. Findlay becomes instrumental in wiping racehorses out of New Zealand, he will add some tens of thousands of pounds annually to the profits of sweep-promot-ers beyond the seas. There are many avenues in New Zealand for the gambler, but even they seem insufficient. Continental lottery promoters flood this country with circulars, and the fact that these circulars arrive rear after year in shoals seems in be evidence that enough business is done to justify the expenditure. Reformers must set to work to root out the instinct in human nature for obtaining something for nothins. While the carcase is here the eagles will gather and feed.