"TOTE" INVESTMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 12, 14 July 1922, Page 5

"TOTE" INVESTMENTS

EVIL OF THE BOOKMAKER.

The anomaly, by which bookmakers, though officially suppressed, still carry on their "calling," was referred to by Sir George Clifford, president' of the Racing Conference, when addressing the conference yesterday. : • "Sir Edwin Mitchelson's Gaming Act Amendment Bill of last session unfortunately was stranded in the hurried final rush of business after it had paseed through the Legislative Council," <said Sir George. "This misadventure probably cost us threo of the benefits it aimed at bestowing. I may refer to them now to keep alive the recognition of their utility, and ac a call upon our friends to make every effort to remedy the previous failure. First, in order to combat the evil of etreet bookmaking, we desire permission to the public to transmit money for investment unon tho totalisator to secretaries of racing clubs. Let the investor escape from the limited prices'and the barred horses of the vendors of odds, who contribute no revenue to the State or to the sport. Give the average sportsman, all the advantages of the indisputable honesty of the official totalisator. • The law ar_ present debars the bookmaker from following his trade; it is illogical to leave open to him the practical monopoly of it beyond the precincts of the racecourse. Secondly, we point but, as we have *> often done, the absurdity of prohibiting publication of dividends. This statutory folly assists the breaker of ths law; it serves no good purpose in its irritation of law-abiding citizens; and it reaches its climax when newspapers are forbidden to tell ua at what price CapUin Cuttle won the Epsom Derby. Thirdly, the lost Bill provided for a double totalisator when clubs dofire to install that special machine. This, too, was a step to better protection for the public who desire the full rate of odds foi the moderate investor, with the certainty that the picked investment will not be refused. May it not bo long befora these reasonable requests are conceded." • • .