PURIFYING THE TURF.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15022, 17 July 1914, Page 8

PURIFYING THE TURF.

ANOTHER MOVE FORWARD

PREVENTION OF BETTING WITH BOOKMAKERS..

(-RMS ASSOCIATION- TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON. July 16. One of the most important decisions tliat has ever been arrived at- by the New Zealand Racing Conference was reached to-day. when it adopted a rule preventing owuers betting with bookmakers. When the remit, were being considered. Sir George Clifford moved that the following new rule be added to Part XVI. : "and by the entering of a horse every person having, or subsequently acquiring, an interest in such horse shall be deemed thereby to undertake, neither directly nor indirectly, to make any wager with a bookmauer in connexion with .such horse., or uiy other horse iv tne race in which sucti horse is so entered.'' Sir George Clifford said that this was by far the most iui[>oi-taiit resolution that had been submitted. It was roostdesirable that they should do everything to show that they complied with the law in spirit and in act, and if they, among themselves, tolerated betting with bookmakers, and permitted those subject to the control of the Conference to do it, there might be very fair room for complaint the Conference was not acting as they shotild do in the direction of assisting ihe Government to suppress the evils which the Govei .inie.it thought it was most desirable th-vj should legislate against. They all knew it was a most serious obstacle to the purity of the. Turf when jockeys and trainers and other people connect*. 1 with tho Turf were liable to be influenced by market considerations, and by those outside the .cope of ordinary Turf operations who bad no legitimate interest in what was going on. He knew that tho objection' would prohab.v be raised that they could not control" tlio general public, and, therefore, there was-no reason why they should control owners, who were providing tho sport for the public. The general public were controlled and limited in operation by Act of Parliament, which made certain restrictions. The Conference should go further, and show that they wero determined, as far as possible, to obey tho spirit of the Act. and deal with those whom they controlled. It would bo of advantage to owners themselves. Owners should set an example, and refrain' from speculations outside the totalisator, which gave the best, and certainly the most circumscribed, means of investment. Mr E. W. Alison opposed tho motion. Ho said he did not think tl.ev could prevent betting with bookmakers. Tlio Conference would find that owners would bet and set the rule at defiance, therefore it would become worthless. Ihe president had said that the question would be raised as to whether they could control the general public, then why control tho horse-owner? He was only part of the general public. Jf the Act would not prevent betting with bookmakers, then a Rule of Racing would not do it. and they did not want to encourage owners to be deceptive. It would be a very g:eat mistake for the Conference to pass'the rule, as it would be set at defiance and would create a state of affair.s that would not bo desirable, Sir George .McLean. Messrs Vavasour, Samuel, and Hugo Friedlandor supported the motion. Mr Buckley thought the motion was going too far, and would only lead to trickery and deception. In reply. Sir George Clifford said that if the Conference did not carry tho motion, the delegates would be guilty of the greatest hypocrisy, and a great deal of their expressed desire for purifying tho Turf would bo more or less a veneer and a sham. It was absolutely necessary that they should do something to convinco the mtblic that they, the guardians of racing and representatives of tho clubsj were unanimous to put down abuses. Of all tho abuses he knew, betting by owners, trainers, and jockeys was the greatest and most dangerous. They had been warned by the Government not to allow it, and they looked to the Conference for assistance. It was said the Conference could not catch the owners; he hoped there would be no necessity to do so, for if they passed the resolution they would be imposing a moral obligation on owners, and, among honourable men, that would bo far more serious than being caught like schoolboys. ; That moral obligation would restrain them, and would have an effect on the public generally. The public would follow the example of the owners, and it tvould be a help to got rid of the parasites which were in their midst. Ho hoped that the motion would be carried, and prominent clubs would ■■■<■ vote in a way that would be so deleterious to the interests of racing. The motion was carried by 29 votes to 4. Later on tho Conference decided that it be an instruction to licensing bodies to require from all licensed trainers and jockevs-an undertaking neither directly nor indirectly to make any wager a bookmaker while so licensed.