RACING BY WIRELESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20283, 16 December 1927, Page 12

RACING BY WIRELESS

VIEW OF AUCKLAND TROTTING CLUBCHALLENGE TO BROADCASTING COMPANY. (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, December 15. The Secretary of the Auckland Trotting Club, Mr A. G. Mabee, to-day discussed his club’s action in refusing to allow broadcasts of its race meetings. “ The Broadcasting Company was refused permission to broadcast after the committee had carefully considered tho question prior to the October meeting, and also before I took office,” be said. “ Tho decision of the club no doubt came as a great surprise to the bookmaking fraternity. I received three letters of complaint, and on making inquiries I found they were written by country bookmakers., Tho committee gave no reason to the Broadcasting Company’s representative when he interviewed it, but the director of IYA, who was at one time secretary to the Listencrs’-in League, and was appointed to a position with the company, obtained an idea from a statement which I made to him regarding my knowledge of listening-in sets installed in country towns by bookmakers. It is a well-known fact that nearly every bookmaker has installed a big valve receiving set, and prior to race day he sends for a large parcel of raccbooks, from 50 upwards. These are sold to his clients who stand round the loud speaker, and not only does betting go on prior to the race being run, but during the actual running of the race as it is described from the course. The announcer gives to the bookmaker all the information he desires, from scratchings and betting, and ns near as possible tho dividends. “ There has been no communication between the Canterbury Owners and Breeders’ Association and the Auckland Trotting Club in connection with the matter,” said Mr Mabee. “ The only letters I received were traced to three bookmakers. The Broadcasting Company resembles a huge octopus. It waits to devour all before it at any cost. When, some months back, there was a great outcry against this two-man monopoly tho opposition was silenced by the company appointing the leaders to positions. Now, the opposition is using its brains to carry out what it opposed a few months back. Tho real .'acts so far as the broadcasting monopoly is concerned are that it is losing a good programme, for which it was not paying a penny. Its motto has always been ‘ Give to the public anything you can got for nothing.’ “ The Auckland Trotting Club is under very heavy expense in catering for the comfort of the public which pays for admission, and each day’s racing costs the club somewhere in the vicinity of £I3OO. The upkeep of grounds, the erection of stands, and other appurtenances cost a great deal of money which must be found by raising debentures on Interest. All this of course, does not concern the Broadcasting Company, but it does concern the committee of the Auckland Trotting Club. To have its me Ming broadcast means keeping thousands of people in the Auckland district away from tho course, but as the Auckland Trotting Club is composed of real sportsmen I feel sure that in their goodness of heart they will allow the monopoly to broadcast the meeting, and thereby increase the air monopoly’s revenue, provided they pay to the Auckland Public Hospital a sura of about £IOO a day for that privilege. Now, as this broadcasting monopoly seems to be so much concerned about the public which docs not pay to go to the racecourse, but keeps the bookmaker thriving, let it come to light and show what it is made of.”