WAGERING ON MOTOR RACING

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 55, 28 November 1929, Page 12

WAGERING ON MOTOR RACING

APPLICATION TO BE MADE FOR TOTALISATOR PERMIT CLERGYMAN’S TERSE COMMENT Dominion Special Service. Auckland, November 27. A decision to apply to the Government for permission to instill a totalisator at Henning Speedway at Mangere was made at a meeting of the committee of the Auckland Automobile Racing Club Limited. It is proposed that the totslisator should be used for the first time at the motor-ear and motor-cycle races on December 7. It was stated that if a permit were granted no difficulty would be experienced in installing a totalizator for the forthcoming meeting. Various members expressed the opinion that since betting was permitted on horse races there was no logical reason whv it should not be allowed on motor races.- Betting on contests was permitted in all other countries where the sport was followed. Under the existing legislation the use of the totalisator is confined to horse racing. Auckland clergymen appear to be unanimous in condemning any suggestion of offering facilities to people to bet on motor racing, and at the first sign of an application being .given serious consideration they will rise and vigorously oppose it. Tlie Rev. Jasper Calder was most outspoken. “I have been associated with sport nil my life,” he said, “and I have no hesitation in saying there are too many totalisator permits now. The only way to keep sport clean is to cut out betting. The cleanest sports to-day are tennis, cricket and yachting. If you want my straight-out opiuion I say To hell with the tote!’ You can use those words for the sake of everyone. Let us keep our sport clean.”