FALL OF "TOTE" INVESTMENTS

NZ Truth, Issue 1127, 7 July 1927, Page 11

FALL OF "TOTE" INVESTMENTS

,'. Keep Public In The Dark Is Suggested

.. •■ .•.■;■■■.',/"/'.. ..■ ■■•"'• : ■■■ ■■ ■>'"■''':.■-.■■"■ x : . With totalisator investments falling 1 all over the country, most, clubs are m a bad way, financially. . "

AS each successive meeting shows a considerable drop m the amount of the money handled stewards and secretaries cannot do /anything l.b.ijt sit back and wish; for a return ! *&»lt^^ood ; .times. '<' -.' •' ' ■■' ' ' ... ;i^ v '< :: ■■; „ ... Tightness of money is, of course, -..'.'the.'' reason for the falling off. 1 -However; a correspondent, m, Feilding has '■ an idea" which., he thinks; will increase returns and also improve dividends. ' "The idea is," he writes, "to keep the totals on each horse 'and also the grand total (if necessary) .secret until the machine closes on each race and all the investments are recorded and checked. . . • ■ , ■'} ■ "This could be done by an-arrange-ment of shutters which, could be lifted some minutes before the 'signal was given to start a race. ' : ' "Some of the advantages to be gained would be to prevent the last-minuted rush, as there would tfce no advantage m hanging back. ' V ; . , , : v "An owner could put a large investment on the machine without exposing his hand. ; ;

"An investor would not : be put off backing his fancy because the public had made it . 'favorite, or because it was neglected. ; "I am merely. making this suggestion to you so that you can pass it oh for consideration.- Numerous other possibilities have occurred to me as they may also occur, to you." It -would, perhaps, be quite m order to call the suggestion offered novel, but "N.Z. Truth" does not for one moment think, it. workable. . Nobody but a\"mug" or a blind man will work. in the dark, and that is just what would be happening if our correspondent's suggestion was adopted., ' Such a system if brought into operation would make tote"figures drop stllmore. ': There is ■ no money to. bet with, and very 'little of what there is would be pushed through a tote window when the pusher did not know and could not see. approximately what price he was going to get — when his fancy won. No, that is riot the right !'dope" to restore the patient .to strength again.