THE "TOTE" IN NEW ZEALAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 238, 5 October 1908, Page 4

THE "TOTE" IN NEW ZEALAND.

"FAILED IN ALL ITS FROMBEi* CALLOW YOUTHS AS BOtSQCAK^ Rev. J. J. North, of Wellinirton Zealand, one of the • r ' fcratasmn Baptist £c totaliea^legi^Ti.f^J* "When the Totalisator Bill was duced, about the year 1882, it SSZ distinctunderstanding that it press, bookmakers and cleanse the 3 ; 'It has failed in all the I*o»to» < ite behalf. It has proved to be The J? ' lific mother of a fresh trfbfjf jS> makers. 'Tote odds' betting, quires no skill on the part brtlieW ciller, seeing that the arithmetic ie <W for him by the machine, has launched inta the trade a vast number of crikie youths. They bet on the system ttZZ mg the same odds as the which are ascertained, of coureeFlfS ■the race is run. . i; : "Moreover, the totalisa-tof was alleged amongst us, and ie alleged amongst thai " who wish its introduction here to only on a cash basis. The fact is th«t» totalisator in our country is etdcttr cash. I possess a curious credit forme issued on the machines W different clubs and proprietors^ , Aea£ the totalisator operates in ibe direetkm ! of widening the area of betting. Men »S ; women who would not approach a-book* maker to make a wager will go to 1 , machine which is licensed by the Govetft. ment. Some of the clubs, snch «g tb»" Canterbury Jockey Club, provide speeiil facilities for women to bet, having epwfcl counters at which they may tnuuaefc ■their business. "The democracy aleo ought to reco*. nise that to license the totaiieator endow the well-to-do section of the feoin. : enmity at the expense of the avehigt ' man. By law the whole profits of ;-tfc» machine, less the necessary ground ci- " penaes, must be paid away fty the clobg in stakes. That is to say, about 7J pir cent of all the money speculated on" the . machines is poured into the poekeie of the racehorse owners. And with ut ;ftt' racehorse owners have shown to be not too scrupulous. The Government determines how many, totalizator permits shall be granted in the yew, and the intention was that racing should be ' confined to the days for which the per.: mits were granted. But the horsepwdfeA ■ were not content with that. Race meetings of your New South Wales type,: pnsided over by bookmakers, now outran, ber in our country those at which'-.'tSfc.'-/.-' 1 totalisa-tor is used. Our Preimer ievwr much-alive to the gravity of the tion, and is likely to introduce legislation prohibiting the introduction of ptef ■'■■'■ racing, and limiiing. race daye and the number of totalisator permits. W«tt--wishers of the community can'take toft '■'■'■■ one attitude as regards the totelisatoc, and that is an attitude of uncomproii* ing hostility." ; _