Worse Than the Razor Gangs

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6667, 21 July 1928, Page 8 (Supplement)

Worse Than the Razor Gangs

The “sport o£ Kings" is the sport of vagabonds the world oyer, but nowhere more so than in England, with its race gangs (who wage war with stilettos and other weapons that make Sydney’s razor gangs, look novices): its welshers,, and its army of “runners,” who jostle you even in the. exclusive places at the exclusive racecourses. So says the London correspondent in a Sydney paper last week. To this little list must be added the ring of dishonest bookmakers, who, by devious methods, have conspired to make Mr. Churchill’s budget anticipations from the betting tax 3. matter of pence where pounds were expected. It is only now, owing to. Churchill’s obstinacy in refusing to reconsider this ridiculous tax, that the better class of bookmaker has opened his mouth to expose the crookedness of his dishonest brethren. Cheating The Country Churchill’s statement in the House of Commons recently, showed that from 15,000 bookmakers tax amounted to £2,669,000. Half of the sum was paid by 401 bookmakers! ■ Men with lifelong experience of racing in England declare that. the turnover on which tax' should have been paid that year was £800.000.000. Actually it has been paid on a mere bagatelle of £94,000,000.

ENGLAND’S VAGABONDS Haunt Bookmakers ’ Clubs

Men who are known to be big punters walk up to their bookmaker in the ring and say, “I want £1 bp,Fairr way.” The “one pound” really means one hundred pounds, or maybe, five hundred pounds. Assume ,it means £IOO. and that Fairway wins at 6* to 1. Instead of tax being paid on £6OO, it is paid on only £6. }■- .', .: , Resort Of Thugs There have sprung up in London several clubs where punters and bookmakers foregather 1 over a whisky and soda and a grill. Ostensibly social organisations, these clubs are licensed by the magistrates. In reality they aro. owned by prominent bookmakers, who '- do enormous business, hidden away from the prying eyes of the taxcollector. Thousands of pounds change hands at these places daily, without a penny being paid .in tax. Here it is possible to put -£SOO on a horse in cash and bo paid within five minutes of the result being knowrb Some of these places are the haunts of the most desperate characters known on the English Turf, and lucky is the punter who escapes without having been forcibly deprived of his winnings. It cannot bo said too often that in all matters, connected with the turf Australia is still a thousand years ahead bf England. ■ 1 ■.