A LITTLE PROGRESS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 252, 27 November 1914, Page 2

A LITTLE PROGRESS.

EXTENDING THE TOTALISATOR.

POSITION IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

For at least a quarter of a century there has been : a strong but fruitless agitation in New South Wales for the legalisation and introduction of the totalisator. At last there seems fair prospects of the desired result being attained, and it seems a strange-coinci-dence that this promising state of affairs should occur at. a time when the Government is hard pressed for revenue in consequence of the war. The history of the many agitations raised by partisans of the. machine is a long one. ■ ■ .

Ever since its introduction to New Zealand and certain Australian States, a large number of New South Wales sportsmen, evidently tired of supporting some hundreds of bookmakers in affluence and comparative jdleness, % have left no stone unturned in their efforts to have a change made in the betting methods open to them. When they became too clamorous, some sort of promise was made by the powers that be to keep them quiet. Only a ie^vi years ago, a Totalisator Commission was appointed to go into the matter. This Commission visited' New' Zealand, attended many of the leading race; meet? ings, took voluminous evidence, arid had a good time generally. But even after seeing how much the had done ifor., racing in; New; Zealand, it reported adversely on it, an(t the clamour siib : sided. Evidently moral suasion was not strong enough to combat'the influence of "-., Cohen" and the. support he feceitfeit; frbm the churches;, It. seems incongruous that whenever the question of totalisator versus bookmaker is raised the Church invariably sides with the latter..

HOPEFUL PROSPECTS. When the present Labour Government got into power in New South 'Wales?, partisans of the machine thought that there was every chance of their long-deferred hopes being realised. If there is any section t)f the public that would benefit by the change, it is the working classes. One has only to note the difference in the accommodation provided for patrons of the cheaper enclosures- on New Zealand and, Australian courses to' seo the force of this statement. Nor would the owners be any the worse off, for it is certain that but for the benefit of the machine New Zealand racing clubs wtfuld not be able to offer half the amount in stakes'tha); they are now enabled! to'do.

A STRONG CASE. The totalisator has no keener partisan in Australia than "Pilot," of the Syd-

ney "Beferee," who has advocated its introduction' through thick and thin. Dealing with the present situation in a recent issue, he says:—

'' In view of the fact that the Government -is casting round for fresh sources of revenue, it is certainly remarkable that a business —for it is a business—in which the Sydney turnover alone is now at least £7,000,000 annually, should be allowed to go practically [untaxed. -All that is directly derived : fronv it is a certain > amount in train and iram, fares, and an immense sunt Of money thai might;, benefit the com} munity at large goes into the pockets of the few- / • • "It seems.to me; that lack of know- ; ledge as to the true position is responsible for the opposition of one section of the public. In effect, betting is already legalised on New South "Wales racecourses, but a monopoly as a medium is given private individuals, while the totalisator, whien would return the ■ Government a desirable revenue, is. barred. So far as the totalisator facilitating betting, and thereby increasing the gambling spirit, is concerned, that is so much nonsense. On any racecourse, in Sydney a backer can obtain the oddk to a shilling in the outside and to 5/- in the paddock. With thp totalisator installed, the lowest sum received as an investment in the paddock! would probably be 10/- f and elsewhere'" !5/-. I. have; yet to learn ;that by increasing a backer's lowest? possible in-; vestment fivefold, betting is made easier for. him. As for tempting youths tp speculate, no doubt if the.ihaijhine were installed the law would 1 thajfc just in the same fashion as is provided at present." •■?.

.FINANCIAL OPPOSJTION. ; Exactly what the arguments against .the introduction of the machine into New South Wales are no one seems to know with any degree of certainty. The old cry of the xmdesirability of legalising betting under Government proted'tion is surely played out. Its most [bitter opponents are racecourse proprietors (who draw "fat" dividends from the many proprietary courses), big"bettors (a by ao means desirable adjunct to the sport), and, of course, the bookmakers. It would seem that at present the New South Wales Government is so badly in need of funds that it would willingly legalise the machine, but it can. hardly mtister up sufficient courage to face the consequences. According to yesterday's cables, a majori ity in the New South Wales Parliament is- in favour of the legalisation, of the I totalieator,. but, on, the other a majority of the ministers are against it. In ..the meantime the measure for its introduction is held over until next session, but aa, to its final accomplishment there seems little doubt, TEMPLAR,