SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1917, Page 7

SPORTING.

TARANAKI JOCKEY CLU'fl. (?y "Motum.") 'I he lajgft attendance at the annual wseting Of the Taranaki Jockey Club on Monday evening, and the keen interest displayed in the business of the club, and particularly in the election of officials, shows that this-popular body is. composed of a very active, business-like and experienced act of members. They were there to probe into the inner of the club, and t'hoy did it thoroughly. The result of the "digging'' just served to convince the moat sceptical that they had struck a "gpld mme," and the bal-ance-sheet boldly emphasises the excellent work of the committee and the secretary, Mr. E. P. Webster, After donating £1074 to various funds, and allowing £SOO for depreciation (a very liberal allowance), the club's operations during the past season resulted in a net profit of £Bl4. "Gates" a,nd totalisator revenue "jumped" remarkably, and the figures as a whole emphasise the fact that the great majority of the public of Taranaki are in favor of the continuance of the sport. The profits of the season go to various local deserving causes, and tlje persistent, leather-lunged, kill-sport section of Taranaki's population is hereby given a free, gratuitous invitation to admire the generosity of the Taranaki Jockey Club, and the splendid way in which the sporting public of the province have backed up that club in their efforts tQ encourage horse-breeding, advertise the town, and (what may be more easily understood by them) to cheerfully band over large! sum? of money to our hard-pressed Government, and allay tho ever-increasing cafe for funds, both, local and patriotic May the T.J.C. spared tsj eflfttWW ft#. poWe work,

' TUW TOPICS. (By "Moturoa.") To-morrow's Daily News, should contain the list of acceptors for the Grajid Nationals and for the Winter- Cup, and the betting is that a big number of sports will beat the milkman on the early rising racket to get a peep at those acceptances. It is common property that an extra amount of wagering has taken place on this year's Nationals, and it | all goes to show that bookmaking is a flourishing business in the Dominion today, in spite of all the laws against it. In Wangonui the other day the Magistrate held that bookmoking in itself was a perfectly legitimate business, but that she occupation of what the Law calls, "a place"' for the carrying on of boefanak* ing is an offence. So far, everything barring balloons, aeroplanes, and Mother Earth's companion iplanets of the solar system have been proven to bo "places withvs the meaning of the Act." Still, the game goes on in spite of occasional "century" fines, aad providing the Bar Nodinga does not make the pace too hot, he apparently enjoys immunity from police interference. The police in these parts cannot be accused of lack of vigilance, but the fact Temaius that unpopular laws (of 'whatever kind) are rarely enforced. 'lf a punter carea to try his luck or teßfc his' judgment on the course it is his own business. But, of course, it isn't Tight. If you want to appear honest before the world, do your gambling— beg pardon, speculation!—on the Stock Exchange. Go for oil or ironsand or anything > you, like. Be patriotic and develop the country'si mineral deposits. Of course you may ride on the clouds of affluence, or grovel oa the floor of the bankruptcy court, but its speculation, or investment—call it what you like —but it isn't gambling. Oh, no! The totalisator has, so« far, had a rocky spin in New South Wales, but at the larger meetings at which it is being tried the results arc daily becoming more' encouraging. Once the public gets educated up to the fact that the tote gives fair odds and doesn't set out to beat anybody, or run off the course with thfi, boodlo, things will go 'well. Tho -Bookmakers' Trust ia a powerful thing to bump, and money can buy anything, whether for fair or foul purposes. The X.S.W. bookmakers are making a big effort to outbid the tote for patronage on the course, but some of the "freak" dividends handed out to astonished patrons of the machine recently, must be, making them feel very uneasy. For instance, a five bob tote recently sent its lucky patronj away rejoicing with £25 odd for every ticket taken. Ikey's patrons handled fifteen shillings, and went round to the back of the stand, to 'kick themselves.