BOOKMAKING.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6494, 14 April 1908, Page 5

BOOKMAKING.

REPLY TO MR ABRAHAM. , (To tho Editor "N.Z. Times.") Sir, you publish some remarks mad© by Mr Abraham, president of tho Manawatu Raoo Club, which I cannot let pass without commenting on. He refers to tho conference, of which he was a member, making a recommendation to the Government that certain dabs should bo refused a permit to us© tho totalisotor. He puts stress on his remarks, that tho then Colonial Secretary refused to carry out tho recommendation. Rightly bo. Why should any small club lose its permit for the benefit of any larger club? I might refer Mr Abraham back a month or two, when his town club was fighting hard for an extra day's racing at Christmas time. He admits there is too much racing in New Zealand. Well, I would suggest that he. as president of tho Palmerston ; North Club, suggest to his committee that they give a lesson in reform by cutting out one of their meetings la vear. and so setting tho good example. Ho remarks that the Act offers a direct incentive to the idle and workless to •locate himself in the Dominion. Here 1 must correct Mr Abraham; it is the club, not the Act. The arbitrary manner in which the clubs received tho Act; in the first place, using every moans*

in. their power to make it inoperative, firutiy charging tho maximum for a licomse, a thing that was never expected hy the legislators, receiving no suggestion that might tend to make it operative. His lust remark as to throwing the onus on tho shoulders of a lot of irresponsible clubs. Tho conference had a special meeting in Wellington after the passing of the Act; they refused to confer with some of tho loading bookmakers as to putting matters on a sound footing. 'They also refused to recognise a TattersalTe Club that had been formed, that would have taken all the responsibility off their shoulders. In fact, they refused to accept tho Act, and preferred to ignore it, and framed rules to over-ride it. I would warn Mr Abraham and many others holding like positions that they are following a suicidal policy by trying to force tho public to look through their spectacles. Now, sir, we will review the reception tho clubs gave the bookmakers. and tho spirit they have displayed in trying to make the Act workable. Auckland, at Christmas time, took the advice of a well-known Northern member, and licensed every aivilicant. no matter what he might be. This method, ho suggested. would bring about abuse and ridicule. Palmerston charged .£2O for bookmaker and <C2O for clerk, but after a deputation ami wrangling, reduced it to .C2O for bookmaker and £■s for clerk, but when tho bookmaker arrived on tho course ho found he was to be caged uo like the zoo lion. Wellington had a # conftpicnouslyindividual walking up and down in front of them to keep them behind tho fence, and to stop thorn betting when tho totalizator was supposed to stop. The Act provides that no money shall bo rung on tho totalisator after starting-time, here they were ringing it on after the race. detective took note of this, and. I suppose, submitted it to his superior officer, with the rcsult that nothing further has been heard of it. Hot a bookmaker thus break the law, and the end will never bo heard of it. Pahiatua licensed everyone who applied for a license, although the'detectives employed by them warned them as to licensing a certain individual. The reply ho received was that his money wa l ! as good ns any of the others! The upshot was that this individual took the mihlic's money, re-invested it with bookmakers, collected from them, and gave his clients nothing. Tins was commented on hy all the papers, hut -the tmo facts were never published. Stratford demanded .£2O for bookmaker. .£2O for clerk, and a deposit of some hundreds of pounds, so as to make it almost prohibitive.

The Feildin<j Club was too arbitrary for any bookmaker to take out a license at nil. Thi© is the spirit which the clubs received the Act in. Now, on the other 1 hand, those of the bookmaker rank, that is. those who can be classed a© have submitted to the clubs' framing of rules that any schoolboy knows they have no legal right to frame. They stop betting five minute© before advertised time of starting, although section 3, clause 35. give® them power to bet up to advertised time. Also, many other arbitrary rules, too numerous to mention. And now that he refuse® to continue taking the part of the lion Mr Abraham gets annoyed and condemns the Government, the Act. and the bookmaker for daring to break u,p an accursed monopoly that ha« been a menace to the sporting public for years. —I am, etc., w> ... , , FAIR PLAY. Wellington South, April 18th.