THE TOTALISATOR.

Hastings Standard, Issue 43, 16 June 1896, Page 3

THE TOTALISATOR.

:To tuk !•' ■>! : Sin, -Now that ih" Prohibitionists liuve practically di'cided t!.at the demon Drink is d<ion;ed, thev liave been SLVaiehim:' around f'>r ansither subj-ct. on which to ca-I fji-ir alientiou. and t!v conse(|iience is that t?n- t;)'.e!i- : iitor is the next on the be-aH for lotas exlilKai'tn. ( hie nf tlx.' first ipu- Uians thai wid en^a;r.• th" uitenfiou of Parliament is that of the aboliiion of the tohilisator. Whether it will be carried it is somewhat diiiicult to sa.y. hut it is very clear that the mr-jor piriion id some iwcnty-tvro Pi-.i]ii!>iiioiiists will support the motion, and should the ;, r oody-;_:oody section be successful in carrying this measure the rejoicing in the camj) will be ereat. 1 must say that I look at this ouestion from an impartial standpoint, and as one who does not patronise either the machine and the bookmaker. My observatioiri ha.ve led me to note, in comparing the bookmakers on the Austialian turf with the tolalisator in New Zealand, thai there is no possible comparison between the two modes of betting'. J»tit the .supporters of this measure will say that th' y wish to do away with betting and - altogether. If it is possible to change human nature, then it is possible to drive the spirit of gambling out of it ; but in every business, in every walk" of life, we lind the same spirit of gambling permeating the whole system, and until this attribute of ours is driven out there there seems very little hope of the successful eradication of gambling. Or.o of the iirst moves that- will he necessary to do away with this spirit of betting will be for the supporters of the proposal to go to the very root of our gambling system. It will lie necessary that horse-racing shall be suppressed, and so do away with the alluring temptation. This seems to me the only possible solution of the problem ; but it is sheer madness to abolish the machine and allow a return to thi' old practice of blood-suck-ing bookmakers. — I am, iVc., Totk.