SPORTING ITEMS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9604, 19 December 1896, Page 4

SPORTING ITEMS.

"*' Weekly Press and Referee.* As our exchanges continue to reach us, mail after mail, so do we find the agitation in countries where the totalisator does not roar its head going on stronger than ever for the legalisation of the machine. In Australia, in America and in England, leading papers are in favour of totalisator betting on race courses. In New Zealand, all sportsmen and indeed all who have the welfare of the Turf at heart, would be extremely sorry to see the fairest means of speculating on a horse race abolished, and at one time, it must be admitted, there was some likelihood of Mr Carnell's Abolishing Bill passing through the House of Representatives. That great opponent of machine betting, however, is, as we pointed out last week, no longer one of our members, and with him we hope we have got rid of at least the most of the opposition to the totalisator. There are no doubt still members of the House who, if opportunity arises, will pronounce against the machine, but we think they will be found in the minerity. With the number of sportsmen included in those who have recently been returned to Parliament it is anticipated that the totalisator will be ■ecured for many years to come. We fancy the majority of those who have been arrayed in the House hitherto against the totalisator have not given the subject that consideration warranted by its importance. Our opinions, so oft expressed, have doubtless been read from one end of the colony to the other, and there is no need for reiteration. For the benefit of those, however, who may feel inclined to be in opposition in the House to the machine we would commend the opinions not only of ourselves, but those expressed by leading writers of other countries, and who arrite with some knowledge of their subject. In some parts of America, for instance, where there has recently been much fraud unearthed, the bookraaking system of betting is being decried. In that boasted land of the free there are, as in other countries, reputable bookmakers, and others of an undesirable kind. A leading San Francisco paper of a recent date says:— While we feel that there will always be owners, trainers and jockeys unscrupnlous -enough to sell themselves to the layers of •dds, much more confidence would be infused into the racing institution if bookmakers were prohibited from owning racehorses or controlling jockeys. The totalisator is used in New Zealand and France, and run under the auspices of the Government. In New Zealand a commission fee of 10% is charged ; in France, if memory serves us right, 10% also. Associations in this country could afford to run their own machines for a 5% commission. In Maoriland race-goers are in love with the totalisators, and the more they see of " the machine " the more highly is it praised. Like wine, it seems to improve with age. That the bookmaker in America, as a class, improves upon acquaintance, we cannot say with truth, for It seems that there is by far more scandal wwociated with his name these days than even five years ago, certainly much more crookedness is laid at his door than was credited to him ten years ago. There is an old and generally true saying, "Where there is so much smoke there must be some fire." the bookmaker not considered such an important personage by many racing managements perhaps the fire would be discovered —and put out. If the totalisator were in use in this country can it be denied that there would be far less tampering with jockoyß and bribing of trainers ? You would play your motrey with a feeling that you were to get a square run, and say to yourself : " Well, at any rate, no undertakers have thrown a. shroud over my rider." In Australia, as we have before remarked, it is only a matter ef time— the totalisator, the best of judges contend, is bound to become established. Recent revelations in connection with some flagrant swindles have set the supporters of honest racing thinking again as to the best means of improving the surroundings of the Turf. The Tasmanian Mail, one of the country'« most influential journals, says:—" The days of the Tasmanian bookies are numbered —the new year will find them passed into retirement. Speculators in this colony will not be constrained',.- mourn their loss, since ef late years the old has given plaoe to the new in the form of the automaton bettor, a method of backing horses that most sooner or later become universal in Australasia. Of course, the stakes must be increased to give owners an equivalent." And so does the agitation go ed wherever sound thought has been bestowed on the question. And it is, after all, only the voicing of publio opinion. We get to Melbourne and there we find the leading weekly journal ef Victorias the Australasian, stronger than ever in its support of the totalisator, whioh, in riewofthe likelihood of ordinary cash betting being stopped at Randwick, will, the journal referred to states, be more sought after than*ever. We quote as follows from thayAiutralaaian'i leading article:— If the stoppage* of cash betting results in hurrying on the totalisator, the racing clubs and the public of New South Wales will have every reason to thank the judge who discovered that tbe Randwick course is a ** place" within the meaning of the Act. Shis learned expounder of the law will have assisted in obtaining for his colony not only - theonly fair way in which racecourse betting cart be conducted, but he will have helped racing clubs to a simple remedy for obtaining a large revenue ; ■ he will have given owners the key to racing without the necessity of betting, and have been the means of hastening Ihe introduction of a system of speculate has. en races whereby the charities of his colony will benefit to the extent of thousands of pounds every year. This money, which goes to the racing clubs, the public, and the charities now goes to a body of men who do nothing for racing. They certainly oblige the public by laying against horses the public wishes to back, but they cannot dothewerk -aajsheaply as the totalisator, and hence the advantage of replacing them by the machine. The -eokmaker has to live out of his profits, and his prices show that it costs more to run h-GK than to run the machine. This is one groat argument in favour of the totalisator. • 7. . . . . The improvement in the vsQue of stakes whioh takes place under the totalisator is undisputed. We know f-iat from watching results in South Australia /and New Zealand. We also know that with the tetahsator legalised under proper restrictions, over-racing can be guarded against. This is an advantage not to be lost sight of in colonies like New South . Wales and Victoria, where racing is being terribly overdone ia the capitals. The raising of the stakes will bring in a better class of owners. No man can run for twenty-five pounds stakes, such as we have at suburban meetings, unless he bets, and if he wants to make the betting pay, he must net be over-nice in his methods. With large stakes, such as would follow the introduction of the totalisator, there would be bo necessity for an owner to try and add to the stake by betting. Hence we think the machine would Im the means of bringing on to the turf desirable men who would be * content to keep horses for the sake of the prizes offered by the clubs. The more we think and write of the question, the more convinced we become that the only legitimate argument against the totalisator is contained in that cant phrase, "tbe state should not put on the statute books a law which legalises gambling." The answer to this is that yon cannot step betting, and that under the circumstance* the best thing to do is to allow a system which benefits the genuine racing crabs, the public, the charities, and has a tendency to purify sport and discountenance the hangerson to racing whom we have to thank for the scandals brought to light from day to day.'' We have quoted somewhat freely from our contemporaries purposely with the view of placing before our legislators full opinions from various parts of the world. During the timo that will elapse before the new Parliament meet* they will be able to atudy

the question—one of the greatest importance to those who have the welfare of the Turf at heart. ' In the Calendar this week the Auckland Racing Club advertise three of their classic races for the season 1893-99, intimating that nominations are dv» without payments on or beforo January Bth. The only liability immediately undertaken is that, for each oolt or filly entered, the owner will be responsible for one sovereign by way of forfeit should he eighteen mouths later on desire to withdraw his entry. To continue their engagements to within a few weeks of running in each case the liability is certainly a light one, and that is a feature about these forfeit races that breeders wh- nominate largely, and owners who have large studs, should much appreciate; indeed payment for such races are nowhere in the world on a much lighter scale. The race 3 that require the attention of stud masters and breeders generally are the Great Northern Derby of 500sovs, for now yearlings; the Great Northern Foal Stakes of 500_ov_, for now foals; and the Royal Stakes of 500sovs, for yearlings and foals. The events should, we fancy, fill remarkably well, considering the liberality of the club and the value of the stakes. There are not many races of the value of 500sovs that can be competed for at a total cost of lOsovs, for that is the maximum amount an owner has to pay for each runner. Breeders and purchasers of yearlings at the New Year sale 3in Auckland should bear in mind the date at which the entries for the events referred to must be in the hands of the secretary of the Auckland Racing Club.

The Dunedin Jockey Club has fallen foul of the South Island Trotting Association, and the result is very likely to be serious for owners of trotting horses. It appears the governing body of racing for Otago refuses to recognise the governing body of trotting for the South Island, hence the trouble. As a matter of fact we understand the Dunedin Jockey Club have so far treated the latest communication from the Trotting Association with contempt, and the latter,beinga properly organised body, intend to preservo their dignity and make every endeavour to enforce their rules. With this in view the Trotting Association at their usual monthly meeting on Monday evening passed the following resolution : — " That all owners, riders, drivers, and horses that have taken part in any events on programmes passed by the Dunedin Jockey Club, and which programmes have not been approved by this Association in accordance with the rules, be disqualified during the pleasure of this Association ; and that the Colonial Secretary's attention be called to the attitude taken up by the Dunedin Jockey Club." It is needless to point out what this wholesale disqualification means, and we hope that some amicable settlement between the two institutions will be promptly arrived at. Such horses that have taken part at meetings under the auspices of the D.J.C., and have been entered for the forthcoming meeting of the Canterbury Trotting Club are not now eligible to start. While we do not approve of Metropolitan clubs including trotting events on their programmes—holding, as we do, that there are'sufficient trotting clubs in existence to fully supply the demand for that class of spoit—it is generally conceded that the Dunedin Jockey Club have assisted trotting in the south in no inconsiderable degree. Be that as it may, however, we should have thought that the club would have gladly welcomed a representative body such as the South Island Trotting Association, and lent it every assis-; tance. The Association, so far as we can see, are doing capital work, arid, judging by their exhaustive enquiry into the Marguerite disqualification case at Gcraldine—referred to in our trotting columns—intend to use no half measures in their government of the' sport. If they carry out their duties fearlessly and without respect to persons, the Association should prove of great value in the furtherance of trotting interests all over the colony. We again say we hope the dispute with the Dunedin Jockey Club will not be of lengthy duration.