TOTALISATOR COMMISSION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14930, 1 March 1912, Page 5

TOTALISATOR COMMISSION.

AMOUNT OF BETTING IN NEW ZEALAND.

[from our own correspondent.] Stdnev, February 24. The Totalisator Commission has returned to Sydney,' and its members seem to have been greatly impressed with what they saw in Now Zealand. Uno of them, Mr. Wilson, M.L.C., told an interviewer that the racecourses at Auckland and Christchuroh were " not far behind Flemington," but considerably more betting took place proportionately to population at any ordinary race meeting in .New Zealand than at the Melbourne Cup. . Another member,. Mr. Levion, told a story which, whether true or not, has been made the most of by the humourous writers and cartoonists hero of Sunday-school and church meetings being regularly ' held in the jockeys' room of the Dunodin racecourse. , That the report of the Commission will bo in favour of the totalisator is regarded as a foregone conclusion. But there may bo a minority roport. It is doubtful, however, if either the recommendations of the Commission, cr the evidonco on which their conclusions will bo founded, will have much effect one way or the other. The majority of tho members'* of the State Parliament are, it is said, firmly opposed to tho machine. They oppose it ■on the simple ground that, while the bookmaking system, : .with, all its faults, tends rather to restrict turf speculation, the totalisator both facilitates and encourages betting, and that it draws. to 'raceeoursoa and promotes fclio gambling- si>irit fimonji miinji women and jouttia intiuflefl, who otherwise 'would • prefer to follow tho slow but sure &a±.h. to success, m lif-& of :n----duito and thrift. Othara taka- Ilia vim that the totali&ator would fivrthor enrich already- wealthy racing clubs, and that there would bo no real reform in abolishing the bookmaker • unless tho Legislature went still further; and made betting by any method illegal.