FEES FOR FIELDING.

NZ Truth, Issue 135, 18 January 1908, Page 2

FEES FOR FIELDING.

The Tote and the Bookie. What the Public Pay. The question of what fees the bookmakers should be charged for the right to bet at race meetings is one that is at the present time exercising the minds both of the stewards of racing clubs and the bookmakers It is argued that £20 per diem is a prohibitive fee to charge the bookmakers, and when one goes into figures on the question it is a very easy "matter to . see: that it cannot last long, and time will, and must, show' a gteat Aveeding out iri "the ranks pf the Bar Vons. .After going irfto the "matter, I ; find that it would be possible for a bookmaker to bet on about seventy-five oays-a year, and if this is 'allowed it will be .seen what a huge sum he ha.s to pay m expenses before he gets a for himself. 'There are about twenty bookmakers resident m Wcllimgton, and I will confine my remarks to their transactions. Twenty bookmakers licensed at £20 per diem for 75 days' would be £30,---000. Tlie expenses'" of -each boo! maker woukl ( b-e every perm-- of £500 per annum, when it is' remembered that he has to pay his ow ; n and Lis clerk's expenses, also the Tatters 's wages, which are generally . assessed at £3 3s- per da y . 'Hi us Ihe yea rl y expenses, of twenty bookmakers would- ' he approximately £10,000. Add this to the £30,000 paid m fees and it is seen that' the' public have to find £'10,000 per year, all cf which they get no return from, for the lisrht to bet with bookmakers. On a ten per cent, basis • this means that some four hundred- thousand' pounds is gambled' with "•'book-makers m the WeJJinp-to'n province every year. Fully twice . this sum will -go through the totalisator ih a year, and whon both- !,' chine and bookmaker are m operation it mia-h-t well be asked, "Where is it all going to end." :•.-'! Tt- must be forcibly ' brought to the minds of the public that" ' they are naying the piper, and yet have practically no say m the administration of the money.' What an enormous volume of betting must be done to s+nnd such a: stv""-n. I am confident that the public cannot stand the strain and a. washing-up must tni-'e place scon. , The position is not one for bounce or bluster, and I am jncMwvl to think that the racing -authorities are reasonable v-rn, and can he convinced aeainsl; their present attitudes. It behoves -the newlr-formcd Bookmakers' Association to arm themselves with -facts and' figures: and wait nnon 1 ' ~ ' Racing •■Conference Committee, w-hjich sits m Wellington on Monday next.