HORSE-RACINC AND BOOKMAKERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 517, 26 May 1909, Page 9

HORSE-RACINC AND BOOKMAKERS.

;;Sir,—lhcra,lias beon A'good deal about'tho conduct.,of, .bookmakers; lately ,in the press, ;. and ■• aa : tho Racing ' Conference is to sit in . Wellington/in July, I/think, it would be a good;.idea , of;opinions wero invited.through' .tho press'with a view to trying to arrive at : somo. improvement,of the whole conduct 'of : raecY meetings. '•.'•'■■:•. '{.:-:'': ... 1 -think-all racing .clubs, should be licensed: by -the Government,.including pony and trotting dubs, so. that if the meetings were not conducted, properly the license could -be .refused:or. cancelled;:-..- ;j ; ; : ;.-. ; :.-'■','.->:./:.-; ' ■:. Secondly,-; I think it ■ should be' compulsory for .racing clubs to keep disqualified, persons' . bit a racecourse/ as these persons, thoagli not taking partMn- a face,- arc. capable "of engineering .a lot, of "mischief. •'■ ■'■.-..! ■>:•■ ...Thirdly,, all known' pickpockets and other oad characters should, not be allowed on the rarccourses, and' tho,police should bO'givori power to turn them', off- all: courses whether they; ; are lcservos .or.riot...; : '■■'.--..- ■-.*'' ■. '■ -■• ; fourthly, I think the greatest curse th'sit ever .-happened to racing in this ! country wi.s tlm .licensing of bookmakers, and it • has seemed to mo that .far more favourites have lost, since tboy were"licensed./ .V. .;.An'Australian, recently remarked tb-mo on the, good pnzos given. .hore'in.;the: uistncts in comparison with, Australia,: and flint, it,.was;due to the':revcmie tho clubs hero got from tho totalisator, and as 1 good prizes mean the encouragement of -breeders' ot good horses, it must.be good for the country., as a .whole. Look how they eri'coura.'e horse-breeding, in Franco.- Before finishing, .I;.would, likei to draVthe'.authorities' attention. ;to,tho; lot. of., card-sharping vthievery thatgoeson.in tho second-class-smoking carnages going to and from raco meetings, and the: open ;way ,it- is done show's they- are rot afraid of being interfered with,' and "they nearly always make.themselves a perfect hulsance.to' most; of the other passengers; '-' .'■'-''' ,1 would like to see racing conducted 'in this country so .as to bo an example'to nil othor ; countries, but'l am afraid wo have a good way- to 'go ;yet before wb';reach f that '' stato. of perfection. Still it'might help it ' along-a:-bit if opinions were invited through ' the press, with the,idea of; improving mat- ' ters • and ] now _ beforo , tho "Conference and ' I arhament sit should bo a good time.—l am ! .-V—-V \r : - y: „ ; GLEAN SPORT/ ' j Dajinevirke, May 20. '■ ■