CHARLES BEGG & CO., LTD.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1262, 18 October 1911, Page 4

CHARLES BEGG & CO., LTD.

THE JUBILEE OP THE FIRM. Tho jubilee of the foundation of tho firm of Charles Begg aud Co., Ltd., the well-known dealers in musical instruments aad music, was celebrated last week. In .March, 1849, a pianoforte manufactory was opened at 152 Union Street, Aberdeen, Scotland, by Air. Charles Begg, who succeeded in making instruments of so reliable and .desirable a character that ero long his output reached several hundreds a year. Begg's pianos were to bi> found all ovor the north of Scotland. In ISCI llr. Bcgg made up his mind to cast in his hituro with New Zealand, and with his family set Bail from Glasgow in tho Kobert Henderson, arriving at Duuedin -?ii October of tho same year. Commencing with a stock of four pianos, llr. Begg spoedily turned his attention to tho manufacturing side ot the business, and as a preliminary stop had specimens of tb.6 principal Now Zealand limber:) prepared and dried. In tho ab.-enco of voncer-cutting machinery, Mr. lipgg had to construct all his pianos with solid timber in the ends and sides, but finding this unsuitable aud not to hs liking, he decided to relinquish manufacturing and devote himself to the importation and sale of pianos and musical instruments generally. Shortly after his arrival in the Dominion Mr. Btirg unfortunately severely strained his tack while lifting tho end of a heavy piano. Ho never fully recovered from the injuries then received, and they finally led to his death in 1874. Mr. Bcgg did much to further tho interests of music in Duiredin in an unobtrusive way, a.id as opportunity presented itself. Th'o first brass band and also tho first orchestra in Dnnedin were formed through his personal influence, both being granted the use of his promises for practising in. The disastrous conflagration which occurred on April 2, 1567, destroyed tho buildings on both rides of Princes Street, extending from Moray Place to the Octagon, and Bcgg's Music Warehouse was among the number levelled to the ground, the calamity involving the owner in a very severe loss. For some years after the death of Mr. C'has. Bejg, tho business was carried on by his trustees, who found it necessary in 1877 lo erect the present substantial piano and music building in Princes Street. The new premises provided ample room for tho extension of every department, and from that timo onward the development of tho business proceeded apace. Some ten years later the two Eons of the founder, Messrs. Alexander and Charles Bcgg, bocame identified with tho concern, subsequently assuming the entire management. Mr. Alex. Beg; is now the managing director, while Mr. Charles Begg is in chnr'o of the Du.nedin warehouse, and nlso fills tho position of a director in the company. Branch houses have been establMied in Wellinston, Timaru, Inv«rcargill, Oarnaru, and Nelson, while agencies are maintained at Gore, Milton, Ashbiirton, Blenheim, Gisborne, I'almcrston North, 11-ssterton, Hawera, Napier, and other places. For the past nine years Cha.i. Be,?«r and Co. (Limited) havo maintained their own branch office in London, under tho direction of a very experienced gentleman, who occupies the responsible position of Home buyer. The advantage of direct representation in the v.oi'ld's metropolis has aided greatly in developing the wholesale side of tin; firm's business, and has at tho sarno time enabled them to place before tho public of tho Dominion the latest and very bo-it products of the Old World and America with the utmost celerity and dispatch. The entire stalT of tho firm's employees numbers 85, i- of whom are connected with the .huad office, and it is worthy of mention'that out of the total number 10 havo been with tho firm for over 20 years, and one for more than 33 years—faote that speak for _

THE TOTALISATOR. BETTING ON THE BLIND. FULL TEXT 01' Mil. MASON'S IiNTEUVIW. Tho full text of tho Sydney interview with Mr. It. J. Mason, tho well-known -New Zealand trainer, of which quite a good deal has been heard of during the past few days, came to hand in tho files of the Sydney "Telegraph" which arrived last night. Tho btory runs as under;— Mr. H. J. Mason, a prominent .New Zealand racing-man, who lias been associated with tuo turf for tho past 41 years, condemns the totalisator most unhesitatingly. Speaking to a representative of "■ino Daily Telegraph," he asked: "What do you want a 'tote' hero tor? You don't know what you aro bringing upon yourselves. Kacing is very nourishing he.ro in .Now South Wales, and the stakes offered by the A.J.C. are lar moro liberal than those offered by any other club in the world. There's uo doubt ahout that." "On what <lo you baso your objections to tho totalisator r" tho i\ew Zealander wos asked. "Well, I'll tell you. In tho first place, it would be legalising letting, and, goodness knows, there's enough of that disposition inherent in tho people without encouraging it by law." Mr. Mason was inlormed by the interviewer that betting on tho racecourses was legalised here. "Tho 'bookies,'" ho retorted, "only want to bet with tho rich man."

"But there's cash betting on tho course." "Then, there shouldn't be," was Mr. jMason's answer. It was suggested by the newspaper man that tho "bookie" didn't care a fig whoso money he took—whether the wagcrer was rich or poor. Mr. Mason clung to the idea that racing was a rich man's sport, and that tho "bookie" didn't want to bet with tho poor man, with whom ho might havo some troubl& in getting his money. It was pointed out lo Mr. Mason that under tho New South Wales law the "bookie" could havo his money in his bag beforo tho wager was determined, and that betting "on the nod" was purely a matter of private arrangement. Mr. Mason went on te say that under the present system in New Zealand there was no ability required to lay totalizator odds. "Anyone," ho said, "can lay these odds without either skill or calculation." By way of demonstrating his argument, Mr. Mason paid it was a common thing in the New Zealand factories, where there were from 10t) to 500 persons employed, for "tete" bolters te go round and lay tho "tote" odds. "That's really bPtting on the blind," it was Fucje-ted. "Exactly," agreed Mr. Mason, "(bat's just what it amounts te; nnd tho has become such a craze that many of the workers haven't a penny to draw at the end of the week. The fellows who follow up this system of hottina; get all the money out of tho factory hands by inducing them te speculate in this way. It's one of the greatest curses of tho 'tote' business." "ITow on earth can it bn stopped?" Uo nsked, when it was mentioned that the practico could, bo put an end to. It was shown to tho "tote" opponent that when tho authorities here took it into their heads, to put down the "toto" shops, as they were then caJlwi, it didn't tako thorn long to complete tl'.« job. But, according lo Mr. Mason, there was no analog)' in the two sets of circumstances. "How could anyone toll what two persons might lx> talking about in (ho street, and surely the authorities are not going to interfere with tho right of conversation ? While this chat is going on Wie bet is made."

"Wouldn't a littlo bit of 'Sherlock Holmos' do a great deal in tho direction of minimising tho evil? Couldn't the authorities manage lo tako a bet or two, and wouldn't tho subsequent prosecutions act as a deterrent? This did not appeal to Mr. Mason as a sufficient preventive for poopk gambling their whole week's wagos away "on tho blind." Another objectionable feature of tho totJifator, io Mr. Mason's mind, was the p'.oa that it induced children to bet. Mr. Mason was reminded that at present the youngsters sent their "dollars" and "half-dollars" out to the course with friends. This might bo so. but Mr. Mason argued that the "toto" would further encourajjo the betting instinct. "And tho women! Isn't it most degrading?" he asked, "to see women scrambling and crashing to Rot their money on the 'tote,' as is tho case in New Zealand? 1 liavo seen ttiom tear their clothes in their mad rush to secure a ticket." he said. "Ask tho business man what he thinks of the 'tote.' You'll only get one answer. Tho butchers and bakers in New Zealand have had to go without their money while many of their debtors splflsh-d it up on tho 'tote.'" "Isn't the the best avenuo for racecoiH'so speculation?" "No." "Why? Don't tho public mako tho odds? They con seo by tho indicator the extent to which each horse is fancied." "That's just where a great deal of injury io tbo sport comes in. The very fnct that the public can seo the volume of business done on each horsa makes horse-owners selfish. If an owner has a horso which he thinks has a chance, ha cannot afford to put pven. his l>est friend on, because he is after a good dividend for himself. If ho were to tell one friend, that friend would havo , three friends, and so the circle of friends would go on increasing until a thousand might bo in tho 'know.' In order that the owner may not bo called upon to make a liar of himself, ho has to avoid his friends and hid* himself until tho rato is over. There is no pleasure whatever in racing with the 'tote.' It givos a lot of pleasure to a man to be nblo to toll a friend What horso lie can put £1 or £1 on, but tho 'toto' makes him Mlflsh.", Speaking generally of racing in Now Zeii'.and, ifr. Mason said that tho poor man thero had to find tho states which the rich man raced for. Before tho

"tote" caino along they had their Tattcrsall's Clubs, and rich men and squatters were prominent in racing. But under toUli.sator conditions this was altered. Racing was now cheap and nasty, and the good class ot racing men had been phot out. Tho nominations were so cheap that a class o£ "snort" was brought into the field with whom tho good sort would not have their names associated.

"Look al England," continued Mr. Mason. "There's no 'tote' there-, and ifs the best place in the world for racing. Tho best class of people race there. Before tho 'tote' came into vogue in New Zealand we hid breeders in Canterbury, and they used to Ret from 1200 to 1500 guineas for yearlings, but tho 'tote' has settled all that,, and most of the studmasters have had to sell ont. Of the few who remain they are obliged to s?nd mo?fc of their yearlings to Sydney, where they get better prices, because there is no 'tote.' If you get tho 'tote.' here, it will bring down the nrice of yearlings. Even if a man i.s rich he will not give 1500 or 2000 guineas for a. colt when he cannot have the pleasure of telling' a friend what horse ho may put a 'fiver' on."