THE TOTALISATOR

Otago Witness, Issue 3149, 22 July 1914, Page 53

THE TOTALISATOR

ITS VALUE TO THE SPORT. IN ARGENTINE AND IN NEW ZEALAND. FOSTER FRASER’S OPINION. In view of the doubt sometimes cast by interested persons upon the value of the totalizator as a moans of providing rich racing prizes and so improving the quality of horses and helping horse breeding in general, observations contained in Foster Fraser’s latest book, “ The Amazing Argentine,” should attract notice (says “Early Bird ” in the Sydney Sun). Speaking of the high standard of horse racing, and horseflesh in that country, Fraser writes: — f ‘ On ' Sundays and Thursdays there are races at Palermo. Tire price Argentines pay for horseflesh has become a proverb. It is a good racecourse. We have nothing in England, neither at Epsom, Ascot, or Goodwood, iso magnificent as the grandstand. It is a glorified royal box. The restaurant is like the Ritz dining room. Everybody dresses as they do at A soot. “ There are no bookmakers. The totalizator is used. Betting is officially conducted by the Jockey Club, and there is constant announcement of the amount of money put on the houses. Those who have backed the winner share the spoil, less 10 per cent. A's this 10 per cent, is deducted from the total amount put on each race, the income of the Jockey Club runs into hundreds of thousands of pounds. “ So the club maintains a good racecourse, offers capital prizes, 'has a house in Buenos Aires —undoubtedly the most palatial clubhouse in the world—-and distributes-the remainder amongst the hospitals. The income of the Jockey Club is so- largo it is really embarrassing. The members are proceeding to build an Aladdin’s palace of super-gorge-ousnees. “ All the big towns have their racecourses. An eye is kept on the famous European racehorses, and as much as £40,000 has bean paid for a great winner,'so that he may be used for stud purposes. The breeding of thoroughbreds has become part of the national life of the republic. The JockeyClub at Buenos Aires, possessed of its enormous income, has, by the offering of handsome prizes, encouraged the breeding of racehorses. The Argentine stud farms are, in excellence of stabling and general surroundings, lavish in luxury. So successful lias been the breeding from expensive European sires that European breeders are now looking to Argentina to purchase some of the sons.” ( What Foster Fraser save about the totalisator in the Argentine applies equally to New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, and, in fact, everywhere where the machine has been installed It, is a well-known fact that prior to the totalizator being introduced into the Australasian centres mentioned racing was practically dead, hut ever since its installation the turf has flourished beyond expectations. And what is more, not a single instance can be cited where any club, big or little, has ever for one moment thought of relinquishing it. The Argentine’s experience is being reflected in New Zealand more so than anv English dencndoncv close at hand, as the following figures for the present season, which does not close until July 31, for the metropolitan chibs, in Auckland, racing and trotting combined,

Totals £679,0271 £934,5501 It must be remembered that only 28 days’ racing during the year took place, and the population of Auckland all told is but 90,000. Still, the much-maligned tote not only proved its* popularity during the present season, but showed an increase on last season of the tremendous sum of £155,523. Surely these figures speak for themselves. But what is more is the fact that there is a movement on foot in Thames (Now Zealand) having for it's object the election to Parliament of members favourable to the retention of the totalisator, and an increase of country permits commensurate with the increase in population. This shows plainly that the sporting community of the dominion has not tired of the legitimate way of distributing the odds, and that it is prepared to stand by the law of its land and encourage its enlargement and extension. Figures like those above are unanswerable, and while they are gladly accepted by the majority of the public who are in favour of the introduction of the totalisator in New South Wales, they are silently acknowledged to be true by those whose interests lie in opposing the machine. , Sir George Clifford, one of Now Zealand’s most prominent sportsmen, and president of the New Zealand Racing Conference, besides being a non-bettor, is a thorough believer in the totalisator, as the following clipping, which, appeared in Saturday’s Sun, will prove: —“At the meeting of the Now Zealand Racing Conference last year the president brought forward a motion making it a condition in the acceptance of entries that the owners should undertake not to wager with a bookmaker.* The motion failed to obtain the necessary majority. Sir George Clifford has, however, placed the motion again on the order' paper, which reads as follows; —“ 1. By the entering of a horse every person having or subsequently acquiring an interest in such horse shall bo deemed thereby to undertake neither directly nor indirectly to make any wager with a bookmaker in connection with such horse, or any other horse in the race in which such horse is so entered. 2. That it ‘ be an instruction to licensing bodies to require from all licensed trainers and jockeys an undertaking neither directly nor indirectly to make any wager with a bookmaker while so licensed.” Sir George Clifford is admittedly an extremist, but he believes that if a person wishes to see a play he should go to tbo

playhouse where the amusement is being transacted. However that may be, even if Sir George’s motion is carried, it can never be effective, for people will bet when and where it suits them. Still, it shows that ho is not a supporter of the system of bookbotting, and his lengthy experience of the turf is worthy of respect. LADIES’ SUPPORT IN VICTORIA. MELBOURNE, July 17. The Association of Ladies’ Benevolent Societies has passed a resolution to ask the Government to legalise the totalisator, and to deduct a percentage for charity, as an alternative to a Charity Act imposing direct taxation for charitable relief. WHAT IT PROVED IN AFRICA. SOME COLOSSAL FIGURES. Extraordinary progress has been made in racing in South Africa during the last few years. Prior to the introduction of the totalisator to that country racing languished just as it did in South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, Tasmania, and New Zealand, but to-day (says “ Early Bird 5 ’ in the Sydney Sun) it is in a marvellously flourishing condition, wearing a defiant look at the future. The cause is not difficult to find. It is in a nutshell — namely, in the fact that the profits derived from racing remain 'principally with the clubs, and are devoted to the upkeep of the turf, the management of the race clubs, increase in prize money, a percentage to the Government for charitable institutions, etc., while the turf is not called upon to support in wealth innumerable bookmakers and their families, at the expense of the speculative public, who are compelled to accept cramped prices or look on. On this subject a prominent English periodical makes the following remarks : “Most people who follow racing in the United Kingdom have a more or less vague idea of the help which the sport gets in other countries by the use of the parimutuel form of betting. The deduction of a certain percentage from the money that passes through the totalisator yields an astonishing revenue, which can be, and usually is. devoted to the improvement of racing, and to rendering aid to breeders in one way or another. . . . Some day our legislators may be prevailed upon to take a com monsense view of the matter, and abandon their present somewhat pharasaical attitude. Parliament has deliberately sanctioned betting on racecourses ; it only requires a courageous handling of the subject to bring the totalisator into use. It is really surprising that the Secretary of State for War, and the Minister for Agriculture, do not put their heads together, and prevail upon the House of Commons and the Lords to afford them the means of speedily solving the horse-breeding difficulty without encroaching. on the revenue derived from taxation.” The foregoing quotation illustrates that there is a sentiment in some places in England in favour of the introduction of the totalisator, and it is strange that the legislators of England have not long since followed the example of France, where the pari-mutuel holds sway so successfully, that the Frenchmen are in a position to endow the Grand Prix do Paris with close on £15,000, and make it the richest prize in the world—even acknowdedging that it is subsidised by the railway companies and Municipal Council of Paris. Returning to the enormous amount of money put through the totalisator in a few leading centres in South Africa during last year (which is only a small sum as compared with what would be handled in New South Wales), the following tables will serve as an illustration : Clubs. Dys. Haces. Stk. pd. T’ovcr.

Totals ... ... 130 847 £111,240 £1,328,4001 Thus the seven clubs alone turned over considerably more than a million and a-quarter, and brought to the Government £25,568 as its share on a 2 per cent. tax. Here are the figures Turl Club —Turnover, £370,222; commission, £3.7,022.2; dub commission, £29,617.76; Government tax, £7404.44. Auckland Park —Turnover, £358,355; commission, £36,835.5; club commission, £29,458.4; Government tax, £7367.1. Pony and galloway—Turnover, £213,037; commission, £21,303.7; club commission, £17,042.96; Government tax, £4250.74. Germiston —Turnover, £137,308; commission, £13,730.3; club commission, £10,984.64; Government tax, £2746.16; Benoni—Turnover, £lO5, ; commission, £10,667.35; club commission, £8533.88; Government tax, £2133.47. Pretoria —Turnover, £82,368; commission, £8236.8; club commission, £6589.44; Government tax, £1647.36. West Rand— Turnover, £50,446; commission, £5044.6; club commission, £4035.68; Government tax. £1008.92. Totals Turnover, £1,328,409g; commission, £152,840.95; club commission, £106,272.76; Government tax. £26,568.19. The above figures afford a splendid indication of the state of the turf in South Africa, a country just emerging from the terrible expense attached to the recent war. But they in no way serve as an index to the amount that would be handled in this State, where every city, town, or hamlet possesses a racing club. It is safe to say that 10 times the amount would pass through the machine in New South Wales, the commission on which could be used in no end of ways for the good of sport, breeding, and upkeep of charitable institutions, without any single individual being a penny worse off —except, of course, those who live on the game.

disclose: — * 1912-13. mi3-i4. Auckland Racing Club ... £670,027^ £405.651 Takapuna Jockey Club 92.811 03,987 Auckland Trotting Club 80,451 J 103,273* Avondale Joclcev Chib 75.455 93.894 Otahuhu Trotting Club 29,015i 47,745

Johannesburg Trotting Club 16 103 £36,600 £370,222 Auckland Park 54 366 29,585 368,355 bony and galloway 13 87 15,400 213.037 Germistou 11 74 11.625 137,309 Bononi 9 60 5,615 10G,673i Pretoria ... 19 115 7,550 82,368 West Hand 8 52 4,865 v 50,446