NEW TOTALISATOR

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 90, 16 April 1920, Page 8

NEW TOTALISATOR

IMPROVEMENT AT TRENTHAM

The new electric totalisator, used for the first time at Trentham during "the Wellington Racing Club's Meeting yesterday, was watched with interest. Complaints were made in some quarters, but these were not levelled at the machine/ which gave the utmost satisfaction, but at the attendants, girls, who did not know many little things essential to the satisfying of investors.

Although so effective the machine is of comparatively simple construction, and, with the improvements embodied recently, is considered both fool-proof and rogue-proof. The mechanism is so arranged that even if the operator touches the number oE a scratched horse the ticket does not come through the issuing mouth ■but passes behind a. glass . fronted receptacle imprinted. r This is a check on. the operator, who instantly discovers the error. The only possibility of fraud lies in the chance of the seller's ticket sales not tallying with the cash in hand after the windows are clised for each race. Even so nothing extensive can be attempted, for there has to be taken into consideration the ever-present inspection. Further, there is attached to each issuing machine a complometer, wKieli indicates, simultaneously with the closing of the totalisator, the number of the tickets for which each seller is responsible. This makes balancing very much quicker than -under the old system. One of the most satisfactory things about the machine is the elimination of the "closed window." In the earlier makes if a ■seller's machine went wrong he had nothing in reserve to fall back upon, but now a secondary service is provided, so that there is no stop while the main connection is being adjusted. - .

The actual issuing of tickets is done by the operator working a circular indicator upon his table. Upon the indicator axe numbers in series, so that all the. operator has to do is to insert a lever into the hole corresponding to the number asked for. When a horee is scratched a flag is pressed into the hole affected, and thus the full contact necessary for issue is prevented.

The feature which caught the public's eye most yesterday was the celerity with which the red disc, enabling the race to start, was hoisted after the. "tote" closed. ' By actual timing the intervale averaged 30 seconds. The. public, too, appreciated being able to keep an eye on the exact position of favouritism, but an improvement could be made in the visibility of the figures on the machine. F\irther, a little time spent in educating ■the girl attendants in the matter of bracketed horses and' other minor technicalities ' would not be mis-spent.