TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1907, 28 August 1890, Page 25

TALK OF THE DAY.

BY MAZBPPA.

%* Foalings have this season commenced early at the Hon. G. M'Lean's stud farm at Wurrington. On the 12fch Lady Evelyn (by Perkin Warbeck— Pulchra) produced a brown colt Bired by Rubezahl, and on the 14th Moun tain Lily (by Totara— Red Rose) became the mother of a bay colt got by Gorton. Foals and dams ara both doing well, Lagerdemain is the only other mare that was served by Gorton last spring. The next foaling at the farm is due by date on the 3rd September.

%* The Southland Times says that a well, attended meeting of the Racing Club was held last week, Mr G. M. Bell in the chair. The question of joining the two existing racing clubs— the Southland. Racing Oiub and the Southland Amateur Turf Olub— into one wa 8 the chief business before the meeting, and was very fully discussed. Tho Amateur Turf Club being understood to be willing to join on condition that a Maiden Steeplechase, a Hunt Club Steeplechase, and a Welter Weight Bracelet raca be set apart to be run for by members of the Hunt Club, it was agreed to

recommend the suggestion to members. It was proposed that in the event of tbe amalgamation it is desirable to hold a two days' meeting during the show week in December next. An amendment that no alteration in the date from last year be made, without an expression of opinion from members generally, was lost,

* i * Making handicaps for races at a meeting like that of the Otago Hunt Olub, which takes place just after the winter spell, and when all the horses excepting perhaps one or two must be more or less unfit, is of course to a great extent mere guessing, and it becomes a writer to speak of these handicaps with more than usual reserve, lest by committing himself to a hasty opinion he should fall. But it is not this fear that restrains me from criticising, I voluntarily take up the other line, and shall bestow a word of praise on the handicapping, because I think it is daserved. That is my opinion after comparing performances. In tbe Kensington Handicap Wolverine has 8.12, tbe same weight ao he had last year when he gained a place behind St. Malo and Quibble. St. Malo won easily because he was a n't horse meeting a lot of half fit ones. An for the second place, there was a big race for it, and Wolverine was only just beaten by Quibble. I think that Wolverine will be more forward this time than ho was last year, and if there is no very fit one to flop up from among thu lightweights the big fellow may take ft lot of doing. Stonehenge is also worth watching, and bo are Emmason, Pique, Mariner, Leinster, and the best of Arthur Smith's pair, It is, indeed, a very open race, and. that is what I oall good handicapping, Rosebud has been scratohed for both fiat races. She certainly was not thrown in, but I don't think she was badly treated At Heathcote at Christmas she won twice— the mile and aquarter race with 9.2 up, beating Road Metal (7.2) and Erin-go-Bragb (8.13), and in the mile race she had 9 7 and beat Red Ensign with 7.11. [On that form she should have had a show here, which is all that oould be expected. In the Snorts Handicap I thought she had a very fair look in. With her away I fancy that Tempest and Leinstor are a worthy pair, with Forest King a good outsider. On book form Miss Ann is the one that ought to win, but I don't think she can be very far advanced with her preparation. As to the Tally-bo Steeplechase, Ahua is already scratched. His owner is vory probably thinking that the little horse is unjustly treated. And at first Bight there would seem to be reason for that aotion. But what else was Mr Dowse to do? At the Obristchuroh Hunt Olub meeting Ahua had 12,7, Daddy Longlegs 10.7, and Sir Maurice 9.12, and the report of tbe race is in theße words : " Ahua, drawing away from Daddy Longlegs. won very comfortably by a length and a-half from Sir Maurice,, who was seven lengths ahead of the Grand National winner." With two stone between them Ahua won easily, and in putting one at 13.2 and the other at 10.10, that iB giving Ahua. 61b extra for his win, Mr Dowse did all tbat was possible to give them both a show. Ha could not have made the scale lower, for Daddy won this very race last year with 11.0, Ahua being out of the way, I think that Daddy will very nearly win, as he must be fit. With Ahua in it there would have been not a pin to choose as between the pair. Acceptances and also entries for the Maiden Steepleohase are duo on Saturday week, the 6th September, and we may then be able to form an idea as to what horses are likely to win these and other races at the meeting. A correspondent of the North Otago Times writes :— " A great orowd assmbled on the North jroad one day last week to witness a trotting match against time, and were amply repaid for their trouble by witnessing one of the best 'goes' ever seen in Oamaru. The conditions were that the horse was to trot one mile in four minutes ; stakes, something under £1000. As . tha time drew near for the start, the orowd grew very impatient, and baokers of the horße oegan to criticise him freely ; he showed plenty of bone— too muoh in faofr^but not muoh muscle. He was only put in training the night before, having been fed on 'long oats' and rubbed down with a briok to make him hard. But with all this severe training he did not succeed in accomplishing the tafsk, which must have been disappointing to his rider, for he rode in grand style ; the only fault being that he had bis heels on the horse's bead, and his (tho rider's) head on the hone's tail. However, all went smoothly during the trial with the exception of Borne cynical remarks by the onlookers, such as ' Sit back, mister, or you'll give him a headache ; ' c Hit him on the shoe,' &o. At the conclusion of the race, the rider, after a copious pull at a flask— which I don't think contained water, judging by the odour— was complimented by his friends on the able manner in which he steered his horse, and was told candidly by many of his admirers that they thought he was wasting valuable time here selling liquor, as be could make a pot of money riding trotters in Victoria. I fanoy, however, he is a bit too heavy, and am inclined to think ho is a descendant of the late Mr JenniDgs, the fat man of Tasmania." %* The second batch of racing statistics, that relating to the totalisator, is now presented to Witness readers. The total for the colony is shown to be £579,414, the largest amount yet put through the machine in a season, beating the 1886 86 total, hitherto the large?t, by nearly £20,000, and topping the amount for 1888 89 by close on to £88,000. To be strictly candid, I Bhould mention that the increase noted may not in aotual fact be quite so great as these figures indicate, for this is the first year in which I have been able to get complete returns, and in estimating the Bums of which I had not a full aooount in previons years I was exceedingly cautious to be under 'rather than over the mark in each oaso. Posßibly, therefore, I may have Blightly understated previous totals— l am aure they were not overstated— and, as remarked, if all the figures had been forthcoming in each year it might be found that this laat season is but very little ahead of the best of the others, I am, however, satisfied that it is ahead, and, indeed, have no reason to doubt the calculations made in previous years. To Table V. I have this year added a couple of columns Bhowing the number of meetingß held in the colony side by side with the number at whioh tbe totalisator wan used. In that comparison we boo that O'ago missed the machine 9 times, Canterbury 8 times, Auckland 28 times— there being a large number of very small meetings in the rural parts of that district, Wellington only twice, and Hawke's Bay 5 times, while the four lesser districts pressed tho apparatus into the service on each and every opportunity, the total number of meetings for* tha whqje colony at which the totnlisator was not uaed being 52, *„,*• Coining to the totals by districts, it will bo observed that Otago is this season an easy first with £42,788 more than Canterbury, thus reversing the relative positions in the previous season^ when Canterbury was £24.747 ahead of Ofcago. The increase on tho one hand and the decrease on the other as between these two provincial districts chow a gain to Otogo of the not inconsiderable sum of £67,535. Auckland iB again third on (he list, but with a total apparently about £17,000 ahead of the previous season. I say " apparently," because it waß ohiefly in connection with this dUtriot

tbat there were deficient returns in previous seasons. Wellington once more occupies fourth place, with £9475 more than for the 1888-89 seasoD, but she is not quite so close up to Auckland as she then was, there being a difference of £16,214 in favour of the Northernmost province as against £8351 in the previous season. Hawke's Bay has made up a bit on Wellington, being now only £267 behind the Empire province, whereas there was a difference of nearly £3000 in the previous return. Westland still ranks as sixth in order, but with a reduced total of £2873, Taranaki and Nelson have changed placeß. For 1888 89 Nelson had £14,030 and Taranaki £10,534, a difference in favour of Nelson of £3496 ; whereas Taranaki has now the advantage by £2973, Marlborough still brings up the rear, but with an advance during the Beason of £641. On the whole, then, there is a falling- off as compared with 1888 89 in regard to Canterbury, Westland, and Nelson, and an inorease in the other six provincial districts. It may be interesting to show how Otago's total iB made up, and I therefore give the items in order :— Otago H. O. ...£6785 Olutba... ...£llO3 Lnkfc County ... 440 Latte County ... 156 a Kurow ... 1390 Tuapeka ... 1498 Alexandra ... 552 Maniototo ... 1600 Palmerston ... 1565 Gore ... ... 1044 Dunstan ... 410 Waimea Plains ... 1507 Cromwell ... 730 Tapanui ... 1151 Lowburn ... 384 Southland Amateur 992 Wanaka ... 1073 Dunedin ...35,470 Taieri ... 3837 Palmerston ... 1817 Winton ,„ 1940 Vinoent Amateur nil Maniototo ... 647 Bttriok ... nil Neuthom ... 654 Arthur's Point ... 303 Dunedia ...41,516 Tokoraairlro ... 1094 Oamaru ... 1363 Dunedin ... 8551 Tokomalrlro ... 1523 Lumiden ... 169 Hamilton igowburn nil Central Taieri ... 1183 Southland ... 16P3 Taieri... ... 2198 Oromwell ... 1555 Elverton ... 603 Fortrose ... nil Oamaru ... 853 St. Bathans ... 235 Blueskln ... nil Maori Kaik ... 435 Southland ... 956 OHnton ... 627 Duntroon ... 950 Beaumont ... nil Winton ... 1081 Vincent ... 1209 Dunedin... 12,048 Wyndham ... nil Nenthorn Amateur nil Waikouaiti ... 934 Bannockburn ... nil V Table VI shows the details of the increases or reductions in respect to the chief olubs. As remarked last week, there are 49 clubs this year, as against 391ast,thathavegiven £400 or over in stakes, and these are the clubs inoluded in this table. Beginning with the Dunedin Jookey Club, the chief point of gain is in connection with the Spring meeting, at wbioh £41,516 waß passed through the maohineas againat£ll,sooin theprevioußseason, the Bpecial effort made on aocount of the Exhibition accounting for the difference. The inorease is, however, an all-round one with the exception of the May meeting, at which there was this year a falling off of £31. Tho Auokland Racing Club put through £59,594 as against £43,368 the previous season. Here we note absolutely an all-round inorease, and to that increase has to be added the money passed through at the extra Jubilee meeting, there being a total increase of £11,226, whioh puts the A B.C. second on the list and £3376 ahead of the Canterbury Jookey Olub, which in the 1888 89 season beat the A.R.O. by £5854. Tbe Canterbury Jookey Club's aotual increase is £1986, there being a gain on the Spring and Grand National meetings and a loss on the Midsummer and Easter meetings as compared with the previous season. The rival olubs at Napier are again close together, but they have changed placeß, the Hawke's Bay Jookey Club being now about £400 ahead of the Napier Park Baaing Olub, wheieaa foi the previous season there was a difference the other way of about £200. The Wellington Raoing Olub passed through more at each meeting than at the corresponding meetings of the previous season, there being an appreciable advance at the Gup fixture, but there were this season only three meetingß as against four in the 1888 89 season, and the total is therefore a little less. As rezards the other olubs, their relative gains or losses will be Been at a glanoe hy the following statement which summarises Table VI. for this and the previous season : —

The asterisk indicates that the club noted did not appear in the similar list for the previous season. There are 13 of these. Those that have dropped out as giving less than £400 m stakes are Pakuranga, Northern Wairoa, and Tuapoka. Deducting these three and adding the 13 new ones, we have 10 new olubß m the list, now numbering 49. * # * As before mentioned, this season with which we are now dealing tops the record. According to my estimate tbe total for the 1883 84 season (tbe firßt in whioh I made up the returns) was £330,0C0 ; in 1884-85 season there was a material advance to £470,600 ; in 1885 86 there was a general inoreaso on nearly all itemß, and the sum was £560,000, the beat record to date until tbat now put on the roll ; in 1886-87 the total fell to £609,000 ; in 1887 88 tboro was a rise to £515,000 ; and for 1888-89 we noted a reduction, tbo aggregate being £491.000 ; while tbe returns just completed show' £579.414 for tha season oLIBB9-90. Ib may be mentioned tbat of this sum Messrs Mason and Roberts had the handling of £158,565. %* The Steeplechase meeting, promoted by tho South Canterbury Hunt Club and tho Waimato County Harriers was held last Thursday over a fair hunting course on the Summerleaaze estate. As on previous occasions the prize? were trophies, and thero was no totalisator. The'O were five starters for the Maiden Steeplechase. Jubilee's rider bad a

mishap to his saddlery, Dorio baulked, Cadmus was too slow, and the race was left to Selim and Three Springs, the first-named of this pair, owned by Mr E. T. Rhodes, and ridden by Cornelius, winning after a good etrujyele. For the Hunt Club there were three starters: Mr Rhodes' Charlie (13.0), Mr Wood's Juggler (12.7), and Mr M'Laren's Shingle (10,0). Juggler, ridden nicely by Mr J. Gibson, won in a canter, the other pair having baulked. Much the same sort of thing waß experienced in the Farmers' Steeplechase. Bob, Phoebe, and Rattler were the only starters, and Bob was the only one to go straight. Rattler fell heavily, but Mr Clissold remounted smartly and rode his horse to a finish. Of the six Btartera for the Ladies' Bracelet, Shingle (10.0) fell, Splodger (10.7) ran off, Cadmus (10.7) stopped at the double, and the finish was leit to Juggler (13.0), Selim (13.0), and Three Springs (11.7) There was a splendid finish betw3en Selim and Juggler, ending in the latter getting home first by a length. A protest entered on tbe ground that Juggler ran inside a flag was held over for decision. The Final Steeplechase went to Mr Allen's Jubilee (11.0), beating Charlie (12.10), Cadmus (11.3), and two others; and a hack race won by Polly brought the day's sport to a close. V Truth's sporting writer is very rough on the Nitrate King. Colonel North and hiß raoing advisers, he says, must be a leather-headed orew, and he does not deserve to win another race with Philomel. She ran a good race in the Hunt Cup, and another in the Gold Cup, and yet, not satisfied with thiß, her voracious owner must needs run her for the Alexandra Plate, in whioh everybody with a spark of humanity was delighted to see her well beaten, Three severe raceß on three' successive days, with hard ground, the distances being a mile, two mileß and a-half, and three miles respectively, is scandalous treatment for ft good mare, and if she had belonged to a little man," instead of being the property of veau dor, who, like others of his kind, oan command the services of a gang of eycophanto and parasites, the papers would have been full of oritioisms of the most vituperative kind.

%* I fully expected to find the country papers up in arms against the proposal to form a New Zealand Jockey Club on the basis suggested at the conference. The Cromwell paper advises a conference of country clubs to consider the position ; while the Taieri Advocate, not usually given tc strong language, thus expresses itself :— " Why on earth Bhould a self-constituted body like the New Zealand Jookey Club levy a fee of 2ga or 3ga per annum upon every racing club ? We f eelquite Bure that the country clubs will not quietly submit to such a deliriously cool proposal. Taxation without representation is tyranny, and the country clubs will have to unite and resist this attempt at blaokmail, for that is about what the proposal amonnts to. Unless the sobeme of the proposed New Zealand Jookey Club includes a Bystem by which country olubß^may seoure representation it Bhould not receive a particle of Bupport from the latter. _ We long ago urged the neoessity that existed for country olubs having a voice in the metropolitan clubs, and now is the time for action. A combination of the country dubs would be a formidable body and one that could command a hearing. They should, at all events, firmly insist that there be no taxation without representation."

%* There were five events on the programme at the Victoria Amateur Turf Glub'B meeting at Oaulfield on the ,16th. The first, the Sapling Stakes of lOOaovß, three furlong, brought out 23 barters, of whom Mr W. R. Wilson's She, a .daughter of Nordenfeldt and Steppe, was.made a warm favourite at 3 to 1, It was a clever pick, and a lucky one, for She was quickest away and won from start to finish, her immediate attendants as the post was passed being Lysia (by Glorious— Mangana) and Carbonate (by Precious Stone—Silvermine). New Zealand ako provided the winner of the second event, the Hurdle Race of 300sovs, about two miles, in whioh Mr J, Gardiner'B Audaoity, by Randwiok— Elsa, Btarted first favourite and made an example of a strong field of 14, winning by a dozen lengths from Pirate (10.8), with Pingara (9.12) third. Audacity carried 9 11, It was his first win over hurdles, a game to whioh he was not trained at all, so far as I know, while in New Zealand, The Selling Raoe '.having been won by The Bud, who waß bought in at £280 after . being entered at nil, there came up for deoision the event of the day, the Caulfield Grand National Steeplechase of 10003ovs, four miles. There were 12 starters, and the publio made a strong favourite of Titokowaru, now owned by Mr J, O. Inglis. This horse carried 12.'2, and was ridden by Scobie. The race may be briefly described by saying that Af ricanus fell at the first fence ; Doutta Galla kept in front with Native for nearly three miles, and, then lost his place through injuring his shoulder very severely ; Titokowaru, to the dismay of backers, fell over the paling fence in front of the grand stand when the treble was being negotiated for the third time ; half a mile from home Native fell away ; and, (indeed, at that point all were beaten bar the Tasmanianbred Sir Wilfrid, who played with his field in the straight, and won very easily by two 'engtbs from Studley, with Confidence .third, Sir Wilfrid oarried 11.7, was ridden by Corri and started at Bto 1. In 1882, the year the race was established, Corrigan won it on Left Bower, and in 1886 tho same jockey won it on Game, who had 12 12 up. The laßt race of the day was the Balaolava Stakes of lOOsovs, nine furlongs, in whioh the Queensland-bred Grey Gown won after an exciting finish with Daystar. Wycombe was one of the beaten horses in this event.

* # * There is this week again an interesting budget of English news. The Portland Stakes atJLeicester, fittingly .inaugurated two years ago with the victory of Donovan, brought out a field of 10, an increase of four upon that of last season's, and the raoe was particularly interesting from the fact that in it Peter Flower and Orviete were to meot for the first time. As was generally expected, the issue was left to the pair, with the result that Mr Houldsworth'a colt won by half a length. Concerning Lady Betty's defeat of Golden Maze at Newmarket, a writer says : " Strone exoase there was for those who, watching the raoe from thoatand, offered 100 to 1 as they saw Tommy Loates on Lady Betty apparently worrying bimf?elf into helplessness in vain endeavour to catch Golden Maze, on whom Blake was very comfoitabla indeed. When the supposed to be doad-3ettled Australian maro did gain a little, beiDg Borinnely impelled to do her best, she had the foot of the favourite, and so bustled her and bor ridor that they could not pull themselves together till the raca wan over and lost o them."

* # * The rest of the principal recent events nra Buffideutly reported in another column, bar tho OumberHnd Plate, a £500 handicap, one railo and three quarters, in which the event had to be run twice. Two years ago, romarks tha Sportsman, bouio excitement waa enured in connection with this race, when M ,-.Bpt\ul was adjudged by Mr Lawley, tho tb. n clerk of fho course, to have teen beaten in tbe race by Queen's Counsel, the universal opinion of those prefont being that Mosspaul had won, The scene then wiluesad on the

Swifts was completely eclipsed this year when, after that good horse Tyrant, carrying the steadier of 9.5, bad run in gallant fashion ominous rumours prevailed that it was no race as the flag had not fallen. To the press representatives this news caused no surprise, as they had not seen the white flag descend. The excitement ruled intense when the stewards came to investigate the matter, and they had to await the arrival of the starter before proceeding, Messengers were despatched for him, and he eventually arrived, and on being questioned at once stated that it was no start, aa neither biß own nor the advanoe flagman's signal had been lowered. Under the circumstances the stewards had no alternative but to order the race to be run again at onoe. In the second essay neither Horton nor Lord Marmion took part, and his big exertion in the firat race telling its inevitable tale, Tyrant collapsed half a mile from home, Barmeoide, who made all the running, winning easily. *t* New Zealand horses ware prominent at Oakleigh Park (Victoria) raoes on the 12th inst. Golden Hope and Watercress started in the Trial Stakes, and the last-named was the second best of the large field, finishing second to' Driffield, who, however, won easily. Lardnor rode Watercress. The seven starters for the Oakleigh Park Handioap, of 70aovs, one mile, included La Eoae (8 7) ridden by Jack Laughlin. The Argus tells ub that this raoe was one of the most disgraceful ever witnessed, Oollioh Rouoh and Stafford opened favourites, but it wassoon apparent that there was something in the wind, for-just before the flag dropped the extraordinary odds of 10 to 1 bar on 3" were offered, the barred one being Daystar, who, as might have been expeoted under the oircumstances, made an "exhibition " of his " opponents," some of whom at one part of the " raoe " or another were pulled and hauled all over the course in a palpable manner, The onlookers of course were not Blow to express their indignation and disgust, both before the event and after, because it was plain to everybody, even to the officials, that some Btartling and audacious act was about to be' perpetrated. The riders of Stafford and Oollioh Rouob (Ramage and Ettridge respectively) were called upon for an explanation, but as usual "the stewards did not think there was evidenoe enough to implicate anybody." It would be useless to comment upon suob impotenoy. „,% A quantity of American news is held over, including particulars of Racine's mile in Imin39£sec and Firenzi's mile and a-half in 2min 33s£o, but room must be found for a short account of how Salvator beat Tenny and the mile and aquarter record. It was in a match for 5000dol aside, run at Sheepshead Bay on June 25. The betting wag 5 1" 3on Salvator, 6to 5 against Tenny. With Tenny next the rails they started head and head and ran together to within 50yds of the judge's stand, when Salvator's bead Bhowed in front. Around the turn his neck and shoulders were in advanoe, and at the quarter he waß half a length in front, Entering the backstretoh he made a spurt, and taking the rails from Tenny, showed a dear length in front. In the run along the baokstretch to the middle of the far turn Salvator had a uniform advantage of a length and a-half. Then Tenny sulked and Salvator increased his lead a trifle, being two and a-half or three lengths in advance. Then Garrison began to ride Tenny, and he kept the gap from increasing, Salvator entering the stretch about two good lengths in front. In the next furlong Tenny oloßed to within a length, and as he waß Btill gaining, Murphy began to ride Salvator, Every stride from there home Tenny gained, and the last 100 yds was a desperate drive on the part of both jockeys. In the last 50yds it looked as if Tenny would get np, but the distance was too short and Salvator lasted long enough to win by a short head. The time, as taken by the official timekeepers, was : For quarter mile, 25seo,'j half, 49f aeo ; three-quarters, lrain 14f seo ; [one mile, lmin 39£aeo; and one mile and a-quarter, 2min sseo, the world's record. %* The fine weather we have had of late has enabled training operations at the Forbury to proceed without interruption, and most of our horses are fitter than I expected to find them. On Tuesday Stonehenge and Occident had a rousing gallop together of a mile, in whioh the former kept pretty well with hia companion, showing capital form. Mariner worked with Wolverine, this pair going fast for about a mile and a-quarter, Most of the watchers considered that Mariner had a bit the best of the big horse, but perhaps he was not trying. Mon Loup, who is very forward in condition, went twice round with ForeßtKing, the second mile fast, Both shaped . satisfactorily. Dispute had all the best of De Trop am spin twice round the tan. Leinster and other horses also put in useful work. V The Adelaide Club's Grand National Steeplechase was run on the 16th, and produced five starters : Mahdi (12.8), Tyro (11.0), Gossip (10.9), Emlie (10 6), and Punter (9.7). The betting was 2 to 1 eaoh agst Mahdi and Tyro, 3 to 1 GoHsip, 4 to 1 Emlie, 20 to 1 Punter. Soon after the start Emlie went to the front and made play all round the back, Punter and Tyro being next, and then Mahdi, with Gossip last, At the second of the treble, the eecond time rouud, Mahdi fell, and at the wall Gossip blundered on to her knees. Emlie went on with a long lead, and jumped the last fence threo lengthß in front of Tyro, who had Punter next. In the run home Emlie held her own, and won by a dozen lengths from Punter, Tyro cantering in third. Time, 7min lseo. Dividend, £10 ss. It was discovered that Mahdi had broken his leg, and he had to be shot.

*% Mr Samuel Smith one day in June last returned to the subject of betting telegrams. In his place in the House of Commons be asked the Postsnaßter general whether, although bj virtue of tbe 37 Vie, o. 15, tbe sending of a telegram with the view of obtaining information or advice with respect to any event or contingenoy of or relating to any horse raoe or other raoe for the purpose of any bet or wager is an offence punishable by imprisonment with hard labour for any term not exceeding two calendar months, many such telegrams, the illegal character of which is apparent on the faoe of them, are daily sent through the post office j and, whether he will give directions that Buch illegal telegrams should be stopped. The Post-master-general replied as follows : The act does nut make punishable the sending of a telegram with a view of obtaining information or advice with respect to a horse race for the purpose of a bet or wager. What it makes punishable is a tolegram published with intent to induce any person to apply to a person or to a house or place with a viow' of obtaining information or advice for ftho purpose of a bet or wager, er with respect to a horse rnco or similar contingency. The illegality consists practically in the invitation to bet, or to apply for information with a view to betting, not in the seeking of information or in the betting itself. I am referring of course to section 3 of 37 Vie, cap. 15.

Duufdln ... Auckland Canterbury ... Hawke's Bay... Napier Park... Wellington ... Wanganui ... lakapuna ... Greymouth ... Bgmont „, South Canterbury Ashburton ... Heattacote ... Reeffcon Rnnglblkel ... Talerf Mannwatu ... Poverty Bay... Taradala *Waipawa ... *Feilding ... Kumara Westport New Brighton *Poxton Lancaster Park *Pakuranga H.O. Marlborough Masterton-Opaki *Gigborne ... •Woodvllle ... Geraldine ... Taranaki Canterbury Trot Onohunga ... North Canterbury *Winton *Porirua *Marton Nelson *W«erenga-a-blka Tokomalrlro ♦Southland ... *South Auckland Cromwell *Oamaru Lake County Wostland Thames 1889-90. ... £104,379 54,694 51,218 ... 26,480 ' 26,043 20,744 ... 13,652 ... 13,066 8,087 7,248 6,788 6,690 6.685 6 683 5,900 6,833 6,693 6,547 5,475 5,190 5,161 4,565 4,485 4,458 4,368 4,331 4,157 4,113 3,963 3,928 3,916 3,783 3,701 3,623 3,468 3.151 3,021 2 999 2,871 2,807 2,765 2,623 2,609 2,305 2,265 2.216 2,002 ] ,{IOO 1.689 1888-89. £67,507 43.368 49,222 21,347 21,535 20.950 16,755 13,076 8.207 5.741 6,533 5,515 12,175 8.246 5,489 4,654 5,135 5.642 9,076 6.053 5,301 5,233 8,698 2,845 3,826 3,499 2,993 7,342 4,677 4,250 3,930 3,116 nil 2,376 2,»26 3,400 1,633