"SEVEN TEN, TWO TEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 219, 13 September 1923, Page 5

"SEVEN TEN, TWO TEN.

IA BAY WITH THE EOOKIES. I I ' ' ' WHAT THE GAMING ACT HAS TJOXR I Tlip saying "You ran never judo;" it book l>y the eovrr"' mijrht quite well lie 'applied in other ways—fur instance it is not always sale to judge a man's business by the notice on the door. We 'nave many reputable land agents in tlie city, and more "land agents'"—tlio latter would noi sell a kerosene tin full of earth in a life-time, simply because it is not their business despite the. fijrn on the door of the office. There are also two sets of indent agents, "woolbrokers" galore, etc! but tlie amount of business transacted in tliose particular businesses by certain of the offices would nut return enough to pay rent. Tlie ranks of 'agents'' bega'u to increase with the passing of the (luminjr Act. 100.S, and they have continued to increase ever since. Occasionally a vacancy is caused through the activities of tlie police, but there is always another ready to (ill the gap aiid take the ""risk." What a change the Uauiin;.' Act lias brought about only thu.-e who have been in Auckland for the «(.usi lid i years or so can n-alise. In what ive now term "'the jjood old days'" bookmakers were regarded in quite a different light to what pertains now uinl the mci! who laid tlie odds wen- men ~f standing, and in most cases their word was tiieir bond. They had their "Tattersall's Club'" in Swa'nsun Street, then .known as West yueen Street. I lei go through flu- performance i.t" "reading they wuuld gather before :i meetint; and the card." At that ■■readiii-r" ;. 1.,.r.-----could, and very uften would, he hacked to win, nut a hundred to one. Imt thousands of pounds, certniiily nut in tlie same extent as can be done in Australia. but nevertheless, a fairly snh.-stasitiiil amount when out/ remembers tiuii Auckland in those da\.< was not nvarly the bij.' city it i< now. ' «. , But tile scene llj.-s Undergone ;l complete change. and it mifjht almosi 1..----said that reul in \.;\ Zealand is as i-.-aini.-t as the \i..a. Kif.ire the Gaming Art arrived and aiiuli-heil t!.e bookmaker from the ra-.-e.-i.urs-: and spread its tentueles t.> siu-li an (.\ tent that it was alinosl impossible ;,. •loy-Vm" without [iutiin« si di-i't in tlie law. it was almost part of the r-puri — man's lite to speiifl Saturdai <'\.niMin Queen Street, in th- ,',} Vulcan Uiue. Th : s ivaa the ivude.noci-i of the pci.cill.-rs and wajrerinj: war, e-.ir-ried on openly. Tin- rvMilti of important event- in Aiinirulin. piirtii ularh tlie .Melbourne :ui<l C'aiilfield < up*. :i!-.\ ib,-. Derbies, were not mere item» of Massing interesi a> at present. The riwtrirtti'ii.i placed upon np\vti]iapcrH making i: illegal ro publisli betting information iic! ii.it apply in the "ffood old da>«.'' and the daily lii'Wspapers mad.- it. ~nr of the features of their column* to ilm.ni.l? the ovprni<rhi iieiiir- \ihi, : : t,,,.i, |,l ;i •.. in "'Tatters:'.!! Cluli.-'" in v.. ,],<- v -~,,,] Melbourne. I up nnd ' days would see crowds outsille the "".Star" ofiice for the und no matter whetiier ir wa« favoui abie "r .)thei-wise, all would depart Imppily. These times are now -join-, l.ut »ill never be forgotten. Maybe the alt-red conditions have huen betn-lieial. uiay'ie not. but one tiling is certain the s-purf of raeinj; and the Ijettin-j that s-oes with it. is not imbued with the jolh and >mv ring that once was part of i:.. is still carried -n i n every nook iind corner of the Domini., n . but under mudi changed eondiiions. Bettinjr oil horse races is e\;- f ,i. through the totalizator, and ih.- -bi.okics" With heuvy lines payable, should they In- i-augiit. i-arn on their , :l lin? like "a thief in the Straiuhtout l.ett-iri'jL is sonicthina of the |"ist. douMcs ;ind "tnte" odds are tl-p methods upon Whiel; :I li betting is recorded. Tt would be a diflic-uli matter nowadHys :<> liaek a horse to win Uiir money- the bookmakers have their limit upon the rate of odd.-, r.hey pay. This limit iinvnrialilr E, 10/ (for lir-sti and CI in/ (for sivondi. Sot i-veryone ,an make a Int. With tli:' polite at live, the "woolbroker*" neeesiarily have to exercise great caution :.ncl before a strantrer tan put his little "bit" ~i, lie Has to lie introduced and almost "uaranteed. This is not a very rtinii-ult uiatU-r—proof of ihis i-i provided almost weekly in the C'ourw. The bookmak.-rs have t!ieir association ami a fiiHitin" fund, u-hich ~r' cum., i- „.,-<! ~, 7\. t..n!i their i.-.emliers when the polite t:ike J action. P.ui e.ll tin,,,.- ~,.,-id. r.-.l i ■•,.--.-> is Poinethiuj; Licking :iiiuii! i-t li-m •■' I these day-..' ;,nd th.- nt.M0,;,",,, ,-,. „ ,_.',t j!.e appropriately l-e ,i ib, d .s a : Jv-