TOTALISATOR DIVIDENDS AT THE TUAPEKA RACES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11950, 25 January 1901, Page 3

TOTALISATOR DIVIDENDS AT THE TUAPEKA RACES.

TO THK EDITOR, Sm,—Whilo conversing with a friend on tho Lawrence course on Thursday afternoon last the dividend for tho Mile and a-Half Trot was posted, and my friend incidentally remarked that it was 2s, less, than what ho made it. Being pecuniarily interested, each .then made it up, and arrived at" tho same conclusion: that wo (tho holders of £1 tickets) were losing 2s on each ticket. This made mo wonder how we fared in the other events, and I made up tho dividend on every event from the figures appearing in tho Tuapeka Times, which,'l think, tally correctly. I find several dividends paid are at variance with the correct dividend:—.

Maiden.— £ 101 invested, less 10 per cent, commission (£lO 2s), leaving £10 IBs to be divided by the G3 winning tickets; real dividend, £1 8s lOJd; dividend paid, £1 8s; £214s left in fractions.

Pnblicans'.-£57103 on; £5115s to be divided by 7} (I am taking £1 tickets all through); dividend paid, £6 18s (exactly correct). Hack Kace.-£lsl on; £136 18s, to be divided by 70}: real dividend, £1 18s 6}d; dividend paid, il 18s, and £1 19s left as fractions. Two-mile Trot.—£l69los on; £152 lis, divided by 19; real dividend, £8 Qs GJd; dividend paid, £8, and Us left in fractions. , •

Lawrenco Handicap.-£f79 on-;. £IGI 2s, divided by 40; real dividend, £4 Os-Gid; dividend paid, £4, and £112 a left, Novel.—£loo 10s on; £90 9a, divided by 56}; dividend paid, £1 12s, and Is left (near enough). Presidcnt's.-£13510a on; £12119s,divided by 30J; roal dividend, £3 19s lljd; dividend paid, £3 18s, and £3 left in fractions. Farmers' Plato.—£l27 on; «cEII4 6s, divided by 70; real dividend, £112s 7Jd; dividend paid, £1 12s, and £2 Gs left. ~.,',, Flying.-£IH 10s on; £103 Is, divided by 37*; real dividend, £2 14s Hid; dividend paid, £2 14s, and £1 16s left. „ „ One-milo and a-half Trot.-£147 10s on; £132 15s, divided by 16}; real dividend, ffr-Os 10jd; dividend paid, £7 18s, and.£2 8s left. ' T.C.J.C. Handicap.-£BS 10s on;' £76 10s, divided by 56}; real dividend, £1 7s 2|cl; d' vl " dend paid, £1 Gs, and £3 10s left. Short 3.-£163 on; £14G 14s, divided by 54}; real dividend,'£2 13s 10d; dividend paid, £2 12s, and £5 loft in fractions.

Farewell Trot.—£l76 on; Laird tickets, £79 is, divided by 37}; real dividend, £1 2s 2jjd; dividend paid, £2 2a, and 9s left; Patience tickets, £79 is, divided by 44}; real dividend, £1 15a 7d; dividend paid, £1 Us, and £3 lis left.

Farewell Handicap.—£2o3 on; £188 2s, divided by 115; real dividend, £1 12s BJd; dividend paid, £112s, and £i 2s left in fractions.

The commission during the meeting amounted to £191135, and the fractions to no less than £32 9s; while the two put together amount to a littlo over 12 per cent, of the total amount handled. I do not expect the " toto" to pay out but I can't see why it should not pay out sixpences (and threepences on 10s tickets). All they would have to do would bo to obtain a few pounds' worth of small change from a bank before opening. If sixpences had beon paid out, backers would have been £2119s 6d more in pocket, and there yet would remain £7 5s 9d in fractions.

The diffcrenco between the real " divis." and those paid amounts to too much altogether—viz., 2s in tho Mile and a-Half Trot, and la each in tho Novel, T.C.J.C. Handicap, Shorts, and Patienco tickets in the Farewell Trot. I suppose this' ouibblo will bo supported: tho machine did not pay out sixpences—ergo, if tho dividend came to odd shillings, sixpences would have to bo paid to holders of 10s tickets, and holders of £1 tickets would demand the same; thus_ the holders of the latter lose Is on each ticket they possessed in four races. And how about the 2s short in tho Mile and a-Half Trot? Are my figures wrong? In cases where tho dividend to be paid is a halfpenny short of the money required (vide President's) I think the machine should make it up with the " fractions" they hold from other races, and so on, until the said fractions held are not sufficient. I wish you, bir,. or somo member of the club, will enlighten my darknoss and point out any mistakes I havo made; and also tell us who collars tho " fractions." . I hope it is the club, for they could add another race'to the programme (called, say, " The Fractions Trot") with tho proceeds. I think tho public of Otago should make the Jockey Clubs pay out tho sixpences, tho samo as is dono in several other places. Apologising for using so much of-your space, and thanking you in anticipation, I remain an unfortunate backer of Ida Pabk. Wethcrstoncs, January 21.