BETTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 173, 20 January 1912, Page 4

BETTING.

Since the supposed abolition of the bookmaker in New Zealand there has been a very heavy increase in the sums invested on the totalisator. This is an indication that the public want to bet. What the public desire they must have, despite the protests of small minorities. The increase in totalisator investments is an indication of the amount of money that at one time found its way into the pockets of bookmakers—or their clients —on racecourses. No State from the dawn of history ever succeeded in killing the gambling instincts in man, nor will it ever. But States are interested in the fairest means of gambling, and a commission of New South Welshmen is at present sitting in New Zealand in order that they may report to the New South Wales Government on their return to Sydney. The suggestion, of course, is that if the general opinion disclosed in the evidence favors the totalisator, the Commission will advise the Government to legalise the machine in New South ales and to abolish the huge army of bookmakers who gather so rich a harvest in the Mother State. The president of the Commission is Mr. R. H. Levien, "father" of the State Assembly, a man intimate with the turf. He has discussed the evidence placed before his Commission, and declares that racing men of high position in New Zealand, breeders, secretaries, stewards and others, all favor the totalisator as against the bookmaker. Many' of the .witnesses declared that the totalisator had the effect of raising the stakes and "encouraged a better class of horse." They probably meant a speedier class of racehorse, incapable of any other utility except that of racing. But let that pass. The out, come of the Commission's work will very possibly be that the totalisator will become the one means of investing money at horse races on the racecourse throughout Australasia. The people must be given some outlet for their instinct, and it seems evident that the totalisator is to be the means.