RACING “UNCLEAN”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26437, 16 April 1947, Page 8

RACING “UNCLEAN”

CASE FOR BOOKMAKERS STIPENDIARY STEWARDS’ POWERS P.A. AUCKLAND, Apl. 15. Agreeing in cross-examination that he was an ex-member of the Dominion Sportsmen's Association. Henry Clifton Sallery declared before the Gaming Commission to-day that racing was “unclean in New Zealand in spite of the whitewash that had been put on the black sheep’’ by persons who had previously given evidence. Everyone, he said, had heard of horses paying sensational dividends, but they were not aware of what was behind them. Stating the case for the licensing of course bookmakers and also off-the-course bookmaking under the supervision of the taxation authorities, witness argued that nothing would bring about any beneficial change unless, by this means, bookmaking could be made

a legitimate business just the same as any other enterprise, and it was a mistake to imagine that the totalisator was productive of the most honest form of racing. His experience in New Zealand had been quite the contrary. Revealing the extent of under-cover betting, he stated that in every shop, office or factory in New Zealand an agent for a bookmaker or “a smallfrv bookmaker with a hand-made double chart” was in active commission. The question of betting shops was as antiquated as the gaming laws of this country, and wherever the shop method had been tried out it had proved a failure. At present bookmakers were used as the medium for placing large sums in order that good returns could be obtained from the totalisator without contributing towards taxation. Jockeys were got at,” and stipendiary stewards were powerless to do much. Without detracting from the honesty of the stewards as a body, they were in the wrong place, and a system of absolute control should be vested in the stipendiary stewards.