IN PRAISE OF THE " TOTE."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12665, 19 January 1912, Page 2

IN PRAISE OF THE " TOTE."

EVIDENCE BEFORE THE COMMISSION. MR. J. H. .POLLOCK ENTHUSIASTIC

,fe. (Per Press Association.) WJiLLI^LriUA, this day. Mr J. H. Pollock, giving evidence before the New South Wales Total isa tor Commission to-day, said he was handiI capper to the Wellington Racing Club, kind a member of the Board of the New Zealand, Trotting Association. He. had had forty years' connection with racing in iNew Zealand, and he had been an amateur horseman/ a. racehorse owner, and an ohicial of racing and trotting clubs, and had been associated with •racing prior to and since the introduction of the totalisator. Before the totalisator was legalised in Mew -Zealand,-. & considerable volume of wagering took place (through the medium of book--makers, the bulk of it being ante-post betting, which., being on the- "S. P." system, was most disastrous to the public outside the confidence of those controlling the' leading training stables, many horses in these stables being partly or wholly owned by the principal bookmakers. Business was transacted by means of Calcutta, and Dei'by sweeps, which, prior to ithe introduction of the tote, were not illegal, and were very popular. Stakes before the day of the totalisator were small. The New Zealand Cup was worth £200, the .Derby £100, the Auckland Cup £150, -Wellington Cup £200, and Wellington Derby £ICO. Now the Wellington Cup was £850 and the Wellington Stakes £650, and the owners of these days were most enthusiastic sports, who followed racing for sport's sake ; but few men of moderate means were able to take part, the stakes not being commensurate with the expense: The introduction of the totalisator quickly .brought about an improvement in stakes, and .enabled appointments of courses to be greatly improved. Racing studs also were formed, and high, class mares and stallions were imported. The stakejnoney for classic races was raised as a result and entrance fees were .greatlv reduced, while the breeding of thoroughbreds — 'before confined to a few —-became' the hobby of numbers of men. A good class of men also participated in the sport. He had it on the authority of the Hon. J. D. Ormond, Sir G. Clifford/ and Mr Stead that they were always satisfied if the money they had ♦won at ,the end of the year equalled their racing expenses. As the popularity the totalisator had increased, antepost and credit betting had decreased, and: with that decrease instances of men getting into deep water through betting had diminished. Racing men realised that stakes were large enough to obviate the necessity for large bets. With (the totaJisaitor on the course an owner got 1 a start with his horse. Mr Pollock; continuing, said he realised that betting would always accom- ! pany horse racing, and the totalisator 'was,, the most equitable betting medium for the -horse-owner, the public, \and the club. No money Avas rung on to the .totalisator except that paid in through the windows, but this -had not always heen the case. Money at one time could be .wired away, but this was not so now. Everywhere over the Dominion flhet appointments on (trotting and racecourses stood as monumepts Jo the re-, suit; of the totalisator. Among the places hiving such appointments he mentioned ithe Christchurch Trotting Ciub. :. . '■ A Commissioner : Do you think that the - totalisator induces the racing man •to "pull" , his horse, or do you believe they go straighter now than in old times That question seems easy to answer. The, totalisator is an automaton. It cannot favor a jockey, trainer or owner, and consequently there is no corrupt practice indulged in. There cannot be any connivance on the part of those working the totalisator. The totalisator cannot be manipulated at the instance of the owner, trainer, or jockey? No ; it is absolutely impossible. The totalisator staff would first have to be corrupt, and such tricks would be ap* parent to the merest tyro. . Have you ever- heard of it being done ? —No: ; •The witness was subjected to a lengthy cross-examination on the point of whether, under the totalisator, there was less inducement and chance for an owner to run his horse "stiff." Witness' answer was that there was less inducement and He would not like to say that every horse tliat went to the post was out to win. Under the totalisator system he had never heard any complaint from the public about the 10 per cent, deduction from the profits. Does not the legislation of the totalisator tend to give the ' people greater confidence in the machine and .therefore induces them to bet? Legislation certainly gives greater public confidence in the machine. And induces them to invest more largely and more generally? iWell, I cannot 'say that exactly. (Regarding trotting, witness proceeded that it was now possible to get a run in a, hansom at Ohristchurch in 2min. 30sec. per mile;. The improvement in harness horses through the trotting races in New Zealand had been marvellous. ]&o you ascribe that to the tote? I must, because the tote assisted trotting clubs to provide larger stakes, and that was an inducement to men to import the best class of stallions and mares from America. He did not think betting was a profitable thing, and anything that was not profitable was not good. ' ' Another Commissioner : In the years 1901-02 the totalisator amounts were £1,275,000 for ; the Dominion, and in 1910-11 they were slight! v over £2,0C0,---000. That is an increase of £760,000;, what do you attribute that to?---1/argely to increase in population. • Don't you think it; demonstrates that there is a considerable increase in the popularity of racing and race courses? I Probably. So you would not suggest (that everyone who went -to races went to bet? We have been informed, for instance, that numbers make a picnic outing of an event? A number might go for picnics, but I (believe the majority have a day's aniusement by putting their "bits" on.* I J view the increase from this point of view. During latter years the conveniences at courses and facilities for reaching them have been very much improved. Witness gave several instances of the* way in which attendance at rage meet-' ings had gone up immediately the facilities for getting to the -course were increased. Is not the amount going through the total jsator — about £2 per head of the white population — it very serious thing? I cannot say I view it with al&'m. I Uon't think there is any place in the world where tile' totalisator exlsts.\v<here money has been so "plentiful as in New Zealand during- the- past, few years. I think it is only surplus pocket money in the case of horse owners. Don't you think, if the totalisator is [popular through the second dividend, arid is a respectable- method of betting, that more people are jhd need to speculate? r ■•'•■■'' -'■ I do not .think the totalisator is a very 'great temptation to a man to bet, who has not money to spare. : ; That's scarcely an answer. I'll put it this way. If we legalise the totalisator jjv New South Wales do you ithiuk any person who now bets will be Induced to leave it alone?— No. Then don't you think that the legalising of these improve respectable facilities for betting in New South Wales would increase ithe sphere of betting? _ 'It is possible, but you should be better able to answer that than T, knowing the conditions there. We have been told that the bookmaker does his business as merrily as ever in New Zealand, butt not on the racecourse ¥ I am prepared to. believe that there is a certain amount of ante-ijost hetting going on. The hearing will be continued tomorrow. '