The Totalisator.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2922, 12 June 1888, Page 2

The Totalisator.

If the totalisator is abolished it will take all a man's philosophy to contemplate what will follow. Like vultures, the bookmakers will return, and then the harrowing scenes, which, alas, I have witnessed, will be ejected anew. Young fellows with®nail salaries, out of bravado, accepting some wager about what is most likely

" stiff 'im," (a horse bought up, and often owned by a bookmaker, and against which it is perfectly safe for them to bet, for they know it is not intended to win). The bookmaker then is seen hounding the youngster for his money, and threjtffciing expo- . / sure and posting, course, means loss of employment. What does the. despairing youngster do ? There are only two things as a rule: the employers' till or the money lender. Owners, again, will be bought up by the pencillers, so as to have their books safe; and, in fact, the rottenness of the turf, which lias been inveighed against for years by everyone, and which I maintain has been to a great extent purified, by tlio totalisator in New Zealand, will be reinstated with double the vices and and vigor of yors.

If, on the other hand, the use of the totalisator were administered judiciously it would be it universAboon, "Why not let it be placed in tiffhands of the Stewards of the Metropolitan Jockey Clubs, and let them administer it? They would have to restrict its use, and see that it was only used for the sake of sport, and not for the benefit of private persons; and further that it was only used by Clubs who give stakes of a certain ammt, and lhatall balance sheets and pßgrammes bo placed before the said Stewards, and a certain proportion of the money —say two and a half per cent,, paid to the Government. People may not, as a rule, know who arc the Stewards of tho Canterbury Jockey Club, and 1 take the liberty of appending their names Messrs H. Wynn • Williams, H. H. Priiis, <l. H. Clifford, J. 1). Lance, A, C. Wilsone, J. Studliohne, P. Cunningham, T. Teschemaker, Hon. E. Parker, Hon. L Walker, Hon. W. Robinson, Hon. W. lteeves, and if these gentlemen are not able to deal justly and reasonably with a question such as is now before us, I can only say that it is ridiculous to send it up to the House, in which there are a large number of men who are as ignorant of the question as run of the speakers at the late meeting iii Cliristcliurcli.-I am, k, "Lone Hand." ExtracLfrom the Lyttelton Times, jP