BOOKMAKERS AT RAKAIA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXI, Issue 8244, 17 December 1910, Page 4

BOOKMAKERS AT RAKAIA.

Mil C. A. C. HARDY'S VIEWS. It is the general topic at race meotiigs afc present that tho bookmaker is ■oaring liis <>ml. Different opinions invo boon expressed on the subject, •ml a nunihor of people hold to thu now that most of the interest m racing ■ ill couse with tho exit of tho booklaker on January 81st, and that ncing generally is doomed. At Rakaiu yesterday, tho advent of i number of bookmakers and their laraphernalin caused a good deal of •ornment amongst the visitors to the aces. There nro now only three Canterbury race meetings remaining to bo held before January 31, and when over twenty bookmakers stepi>od off tho hrst >xprcss south, at Rnknin, tho goneral remark was. that tlioy wero going to mnko hay while the sun shone. But it io happened that tho sun was obscured for both the publio and bookmakers yesterday, for when tho latto-r "struck" for a reduction of the feo of £5 ss, which the Rakaia Racing Club had fixod for ttieir licenses, tho officials would have >iono of it. On lioaring this, the "odds" gontlomen evidently conferred, and only three of their numboi pvontually put up their boards on the grounds. Tho publio would have taker 'io notico of tho small number, biH when it was seen that tho three bookmakers woro deliberately "pooling' with tho other dozen or so who wen not licensed, the bettors wore some what indignant. Many of them re fused to allow the bookmakers t< handle their money after the first race so clear and evident was the way ii which those gentlemen were doing busi ness. At one time, it .was thought tha tho club officials were going to taki a decisive stop, ,and ask the book makers to leave the ground, In fact a section of tho crowd oxpressed tin opinion that this was tho only righ course to adopt, but tho matter wa allowed to drop after a short time though why, nobody knew. Tho prac tico of "pooling" is not right to say the least, oven if i only meant that tho club ; was losini money by not compelling ! tho othe bookmakers to pay their £5 5s licensi fee. If rumour be correct, it may h safely stated that it would have paic tho remaining bookmakers handsome ly to have paid their fees, for ono o the three licensed men. is stated to hav< cleared £70 for . the day's racing Whether the profits of tho " pooling scheme would be divided amongst th< whole party of twenty bookmalcers ii hard to say, but the general feeling yesterday was that the bookmaker! were not acting m a fair manner, especially towards the club. Mr 0. A. C. Hardy, M.P., is strongly against the bookmakers. Speaking to a Guardian reporter at Rakaia yesterday, Mr Hardy said: "The bookmaker is now a back number, and I am very glad of it. We used to have som« fine sports meetings m Rakaia, when there was very little gambling, and ] sincerely hope we will bo able to revive those meetings. I don't like gambling. I like good clean sport. Nc one enjoys seeing horses galloping round a course more than I do, but I strongly object to this roguery which is connected with it. I believe there are a sufficient number of clean sporting men m tho district to carry out a sports meeting here without recourse to the gambling evil.- I myself am quito willing tooffe'r valuable prizes — and I know other gentlomen with the same views — towards races which would be carried out m a clean .and sportsmanlike manner. It stands to reason that we old settlers m the district are not going to come to an affair like this, and stand by to see our- sons being fleeced by bookmakers. I am thankful the bookmakirig days are almost over, and I sincerely hop© ihat the 013 sports meetings will re revived. They are quite legitimate tinder the Gaming Act Amendment, 1910, for the abolition of tho bookmaker after January 31 will permit the mingling- of athletic and racing events."