THE TOTALISATOR.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10966, 5 January 1912, Page 4

THE TOTALISATOR.

NEW SOUTH WALES COMMISSION

(Per? PaESSfAssooiATiott.) r

- - ' * Auckland January 4. When the New South Wales Totalisator Commission resumed this morning Mr A. E. Glover, M.P., was the first witness/examined. ■ r Mr Glover said'that for 50 years he ;'iad been a resident of Auckland. Years ago he had been personally interested .in - the bookmaking, and: he knew it from "A to' Z. In his opinion, the Gaming Act of 1910 . abolishing the bookmakers was- not, the best interests of the people of New Zealand as a whole; Evidence, he noticed, .had been given before the Commission largely in favor of the totalisator. He thought the totalisator catered only for one class. When the Gaming Bill was ::before T l?arli,aijierit' he. lia'd 'said that 'it .wo'ifld lfead to an ■iri6rease"in'"b'etting,. and subsequent events had proved the truth of Ms- statements. The huge increase in the totalisator receipts was, according to' the racing clubs, due to the absence of the bookmakers, but that ■was not so.' The clubs had fought for jthe abolition of the bookmaker so as to 'have all abetting through the totalisaItor, thus enabling them to gather all r the profits. Preceding legislation had laid a moral obligation on the racing clubs to license only reputable bookfmakers. * So as to bring the bookmakers ns ; a body; into disrepute the ;clubs had.;licensed men who had absolutely no right foj:be allowed to operate. In his opinion, the- totalisator was -the greatest incentive to-gambling that the •.world •:had- ever: known: An occasional startling dividend of, say, £l5O caused. ;lots of. people to think that totalisator rbottinjg was. an -easy way of making: 'money. The witness added that-he thought gambling was inherent in hn--nian nature, andvcould not be stamped ■ out by legislative measures. Patrick 'Nasli, a contractor, said that 'after considerable experience of horse racing lie condemned the totalisator as being too costlv to the public. Henrv Wj" Wilding, public accountant : and auditor, said that he had'filled different positions in connection with the accountancy of the totalisator business. As to evidence regarding touting, for the totalisator, he said this could not have heen done -without his and he was convinced, that .the gentleman who gave the evidence [bad been . misinformed. Again, the irate of commission was so small that it could not pay to disburse money for collecting money. He -was- satisfied there- was no touting. On being sugsT tioried "as 'to the' amount 'of unclaimed money put on the totalisator, the witness said that out of £IO,OOO at the recent Ellerslie meeting only £4 10s remained unclaimed, and Jie . supposed thai .would"Tie called for day. _ -Tlie Commission concluded the hearing of evidence in Auckland this morning. and will leave to-morrow for Rotorua, where furtherevidence will be taken." •• ' "

-s Jamiary 5. •The members of the ' New South Wales Totalisator Commission; left this morning for Rotorua on their way to Wellington. • • v Mt Levien, interviewed, said much Valuable . evidence had- been taken -in Auckland. HxVcould say nothing with regard to the views of the Commission. . -M-r-.Bruntnell' said'h'G the New .. South . Wales Government favored the introduction-of the tote.

Another, . member thoughts the Commission's; Teport".might- result;- : iii- a. referendum. -■ If so, he -believed the' bookmaker would be abolished and the tote established. -' * ' " "

Mr /Fitzpat'rick' said; neither "tire' Government nor the Opposition, of New South/ Wales wanted tb legislate in favor ,of the -tote, . and personally -he did not think the Commission's investigation would: result- in a referendum.. so he believed"it would result in the people rejecting both tote and bookr makers. . -

The Commissioners were impressed by :the remarkable orderliness and - sor briety of the the Auckland races. The volume' of open .betting would give the. Commission something to; cogitate over for. the rest of its tour. The Commission will- spend seve-ral-days at- Rotorua, and then go- to: Wellington and Christchurch.