" A CLERICAL ERROR"

NZ Truth, Issue 584, 26 August 1916, Page 12

" A CLERICAL ERROR"

WHEN VARNISH --HASHED FIRST PAST THE POST

A VANISHED DREAM OF WEALTH

And a Divvy which Caused Dismay and Disappointment

The Need for being more Careful m the Future

t'From "Truth's" Chrtstchurch Rep.)

That small section of the public who were fortunate enough to sort out and stick to Varnish as the "stone moral" tor the Avonhead Handicap on the first day of the Canterbury Jockey Club's Grand National meeting, are at present wondering whether it is any use whistling for the balance of the dividend which they prided themselves on landing. As matters stand at present, however, the odds are heavily against tho NOTORIOUSLY PHILANTHROPIC C.J.C. dishing out any more dividend than that which was hoisted on the totehouse after the race. Nevertheless, the whole trouble was obviously the fault of the C.J.C, and it reflected methods which are becoming sufficiently frequent with racing clubs, to cause an unpleasant taste In the mouth of I the public. Legislation has been framed for the express purpose of ensuing totalisator betting being conducted on lines which arc essentially fair to the public, and if those rules are not strictly adhered to and the racing clubs .neglect their obligations, the police should. take action against the dffending club, just as it takes 'action against any member of the community who flouts the gaming laws. A racing club, just because it is a racing club with some of the most influential men In the country on its committee, should not be shown any more favor than is shown to the common or garden racecourse "tout" who side-steps the law. The public has a right to be. protected from one just as much as from the other, and If it is allowed to become customary for the racing clubs to flagrantly disregard tho law jvithout being brought to book, public confidence must Inevitably be shaken and the "sport of kings" must suffer. '.'■"'. The law on the instance under discussion ._.»,..- IS QUITE CLEAR. Sub-section 2, of section 32, of the Gaming Act, 1908, lays it down that: It shall not be lawful for any member, officer, agent or servant of any racing club to register on the totalisator after the time notified by such club for the starting of . any race, any moneys received for investment Jn respect of that race, or to take into account m the calculation or payment of any dividend, any Investment which has not been publicly registered on the totalisator m accordance with this section. Presumably In order to keep within the meaning of the section, and register all investments before the starting time of the race, the totalisator is closed five minutes prior to the ; time notified for the start of the race, and during that five minutes the tions are. "balanced up" on the face of the tote, and incidentally, publicly exhibited. That custom was followed by the C.J.C. In respect to the Avonhead Handicap, and when the. machine finally showed Its "balanced Investments" mid the reflection In the total, there were 100 tickets, shown to have been invested on 'Varnish, and the total tliowiiil something like £7000. which would work out a dividend of between .■: 40 ' and .(."50 on, Varnish. Though the numbers were not altered nun the face of the mnehine the dividend was calculated on there being -00 tickets on : the winner, and not 100 as shown on j i:ho machine, and amounted to £23 ODD AS AGAINST £4C Odd. The secretary of the C .1,0. wns In- j tor viewed on the subject by a (,'hrlstchurch newspaper, and because, his explanation is interesting, we reprint ! It: "Mr. Wanklyn," says the report, | "Stated thnt the announcement of I the number of ticket holders on each horee. as It appears on the machine; is arrived vi by an eluu- j orate proceea of ment:il ealeuluilon. The machine hn* <J3 windows, ami. Un the betting proceeds the m>latrallons are collected and runs uj»Tho Idea Is to register ns quickly as pos«lble after each transaction has been maUo. In this particular ense a mistake of 100 was made m recording* the number of tickets issued on Varnish. Whether the mistake was due to faulty calcula-

tion or to a slip on the part of one of those taking down the figures is not apparent. While the race is being run, however, a double check is made. The man m charge of each window casts his totals while, m addition, the figures are independently taken from each window. This/ double check has been instituted to protect both the club and the public. The various sheets employed m this double check were produced by Mr. Wariklyn, and they clearly showed the amounts invested and the number of tickets sold at each window — amounts and figures which totalled 726 and 203. Thus any suggestion of "faking" or "rigging" the totals falls to the ground. As Mr. Wanklyn pointed out, it Is difficult to avoid mistakes, considering that ISO men are employed on the machine, and that the work has to be completed so expeditlously. The only wonder is that There are not many more mistakes. The strain on the calculators at the end of each day when such fields are competing Is a severe one. The checked sheets are- at the disposal of interested - parties who can satisfy themselves as to the actual amount and number of investments." This journal does not suggest for a moment thnt there was ANY "FAKING" OR "RIGGING." but it is obvious, nevertheless, that if the bad blunder which characterised the administration m this instance is allowed to go unchallenged, it will create a splendid precedent for anyone \yho m future might be sufficiently unscrupulous,as to try and work a' Varnish oracle. , Mr. Wanklyn is reported to have admitted that a mistake was made m recording the number of tickets issued on Varnish. Very well, why did not the C.J.C. pay for the mistake and keep faith with the public and the law under which it is licensed to use the totalisator? The secretary of the club lays great stress on the strenuous work of the tote employees, and the necessity for expeditious completion of calculations. No doubt tho strain on the calculators Is greater than the public ever dreams of, but there seems to be no reason why" the hustle and chance of mistakes could not bo obviated by the machine closing ten instead of five minutes before a race. The investments would get there Just the same, and tho probability of bungling would undoubtedly be* more remote than seems to be the case at present. But the C.J.C. apparently is slow to profit by the experiences of its blunders, and notwithstanding the "Varnish" episode and tho law on the subject of receiving Investments after the notified time of the start of a rape, the machine remained open for seven minutes beyond the iJpecMed time m the Grand National Hurdles. Probably the lettor of the law would be more religiously observed if the police made It a point to acquaint themselves with the internal workings of the totalisator more than they do now. But hero again, we probably have a sinecure m that the high an«J mightiness of New Zealand's most prominent racing club, Is' likely to view police* presence m the Uvte. house with disfavor, m ort.se Uk* employees might think ihey aiv ! not trusted! Wo wonder what woulJ l»t the answer If atiuvudtary stewards 1 were relegated to iho background m case tho jockeys got It Into their heads iliut they are not misted' Tho 0'.J.0. j stems to havo -shown dearly ihat the section of (he Act which governs Ua use of the (outUsator wan either GIVEN SKCONDARY CONSIDERATION ; for convenience sake or oJa<» unavoidably broken becnusso of th« weight of business done by the club. In either case, the authorities Khould Insist on tho Act bolnps properly observed, and about the only way m which thl>» can l>t» liono with full satisfaction to the pubi'u', rf*tß on the appointment of inspectors, who would ase to It that racinK clubs, Hko any other portion of the community, must guide their functions according to law, and not merely nccordlng to the exigencies of clreumstaneea running collectively with the accumulation of profits. (t should be potnted out In closing that a "similar mistake was made at Tending, and tho club which paid the dividend shown on tho machine, had to face a \osn of £700. Not ho the Chrlstchurch body.