THE BOOKMAKER.

Evening Star, Issue 17329, 17 April 1920, Page 9

THE BOOKMAKER.

TO THE EDITOR. : Sir, —There appeared in our daily papers, of last week a- Wellington telegram which,' though occupying only the space of edv or; seven lines, rooms in itself to have beerv of such a email matter that so far no: notice has been taken of it by editors or sporting editors; whereas to mv mind ", every paper in the Dominion should havo i hailed it with more than extreme pleasure, j I refer to an order issued from tne Post- •' maslex-General’s department threatening to cut off the use of telephones when Used for betting purposes, as well as the supers Vision of telegrams when it is known that they contain information relative to horscracing and betting. Bookmakers are said net to exist in tins country; but they do exist, and to' the detriment of tho community. I am smut, enough to say that reputable' men I aould register. To such an extent has the bookmaker grown in Dunedin that ho has been a menace to the younger community. Everyone is connected hv a. ’phono, and, if not directly, l !e is to be got at any one of the hotels in tlie Citv a * lc * suburbs. -Through the influence of the bookmaker any amount of youths in business houses follow their example and lam double books 011 nearly every largo meeting. During race days it is hardlv possible to get to one of tho public telephones because of the constant use made of them by bookmakers or their clerks. The J oiograph Office lias for many a day been a rendezvous for betting men, and tiie telephone boxes are rarely clear.' Some of tlic newspapers havo on more than one occasion during the past six mouths referred to the methods of the turf in the Dominion, and one of its curses' has been the use made of the telegraph and telephones—faked commissions coming through and many wrong dividends, winch rhe poor punter has accepted, find-* mg it hard to {jet adjusted. Just now and tor a. lew days things will be tied up; but they will go along merrily amim I suppose, just as they did a year ago! ■when tiie prosecution of one or more book-’ makers made them keep clear of hotels for 1 ' a low weeks, but to resume as soon as tha, police became quiet and did not hustle’ them.

To my mind,if ever an order shouldcommend itself to the Press it is this one : emanating from the Post Office, and many will welcome it, hoping for its ultimata, success.—l am, etc., • April 17. A Punter’s Friend.