DUNEDIN JOCKEY CLUB

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12851, 9 July 1907, Page 8

DUNEDIN JOCKEY CLUB

A DEFENCE OF THE TOTALISATOR.

(special to "ihe riIERS.") DUNEDIN, 'July 8. At th© annual meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Ciub to-night, the Hon. Ueonio McLean referred tv tho marked improvement in the Club's finances, lhey started the year with a balance ol £400, and wound up with i;6o0 to the good, alter an outlay of £iioo in impioveinents. tinier such luvoiiruoie circumstances he thougut they were justihed in increasing the states this year by £IUOO. The hon. gentleman touched on the increase in totaiisator investments since the bookmakers had been kept oft the courses, instancing Auckland in particular. This brought him to the agitation against the totaiisator. W eildisposed people wero getting up pennons against it, but they wei© not particular about tlie methods they adopted. H© ventured to any if their request was granted they would b© the nrst to try to get the totaiisator back again. He instanced Adelaide, where the totaiisator was suppressed. What was the result 'i The next ©lection brought it back again, and they had never since tried to get rid of it. It tvoiild lie tho same here.

Mr James llazlctt, vice-president, said that since they had had the totaiisator, they had not had the same number of young fellows falling into t.raiis. and * being prosecuted lor swindling. "They will never steal money to put it on the totaiisator,'' interjected tho Hon. Mr McLean.

Mr Hasdett, continuing on the subject of the petitions against the totaiisator, f*aid nt the hist agricultural -how the Society admitted school children free. At that time a number ot women with tables had petitions at the doors, and their great aim was to get n lot of children to sign these petitions. The children knew nothing for •ir against, ancl there were plenty ol young men who also signed without knowing what they were signing. Hereferred to the great boon it would be to the Club when once the duplication of the railway (now in hand) was completed.

Tho following wero re-elected :—Hon. Geo. McLean, president; Mr J. Hnzlett, vice-nresident; Messrs W. Charters, R. Ewing, P. Miller. S. Myers, A. S. Orbell. and J.- Thomson, committee.