BOOKMAKERS AND JOCKEYS—SERIOUR ALLEGATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 135, 2 March 1908, Page 9

BOOKMAKERS AND JOCKEYS—SERIOUR ALLEGATIONS.

■v Sir,-—Becauso Nero,fiddled whilo Rome was biirning,-.' instead of calling out tho fira brigade (that; is if; tlioro were firo brigades .. in. ;thoso days); : isi nol ,reason . why tho. Now /Zealand racing -clubs, should', follow oh; tho ; •same, lines when .thero appears to bo every' •reason to believe; that tho life of this sport ys, .threatened.'; by 'a gang .of unscrupulous .bpokmakers' andjockeys."' Tlieso arc strong bo' required Hf tha • facing- business in New Zealand is to pre-; iscryb'auy semblance of. respectability. ■" It is that at :sevcral ,race ; mcot;jii'gS'recently 'boolimake'rs had a jUiessenger running from their'stand to thb jockeys'' .room. Racing "men ;\and owners especially jhavo.'overyvipasoh <fcovboliove;,that in;' many instances tha ..outcome, of tho communication [between .bobkmakersv and. jockeys was ; that <.their'-' : intercsts. 'were.sacrificed.. This stata of affairs is oho. of the sequences to tha' hptting law which allows bookmakers on tho' field. It' may bo'said "that.' thq'ro could :lipt ; bo . any; harm in - the; .bookniakers; run-. iriin'g, a mesoriger'. to; tho rnbiris' on Ttlio- various coins'es, : still. it: is ■ obvious that •.tho, "bookic'V sh'ould dp all. in .his : p»wr. to .lie abovo suspicion.)' .Agaiu, •th(iy*inay m>t nil tho iconuected , with :the nefarious garni;:- of {'buying;' ovpr ; jockeys,": but i\o nico dis-; .icr.imiiVatio|i';caii/; bc -inade, ; anil >in -tHoir •' own > • interest^',*-arid tlibsio! of 'tho.'facing, clubs,. tju . 'blisin'css.'.^hould'...bo .stopped. •As - for soim>. ol .the 'j6ckOys; r : thoiiiselv;es,. it' is; evident thai ;s6mc.thjngr:,will,..h'nv_o to .bb "doiui in their ■casbsi Thero';; arc instances* and. iustanc'tis where' there 'is every reason to believe .'.that : jockoys have .."fixea-up" a- raco .'amongst' ithomsolvos, and ''.'taken down"- both owners and, public.-: It ,is with .a view of heepiuK tho spbrb'"as:-cloan as -possible,, and -so that tho public.: may have/.a' chance of getting n. tun for.;its;jnojiey that ; 'tliisi letter is pl:uv-<|. iit vourXdisposal. V Ifthc x 3!aemg : Gonfnroticw likcs.'to tako/'thoS matter up, 'further parI tioulars. can :bo :supp!icd.. in an.i 'ci.*., it l is !to : ' be.:: hoped.; that.', tliosn . i.rterostcd" will-vg-ivp.'tho- trotter: their strictost attciltion.—' 4'. am, etc., M .WAIRABAPA. February. 21