BIG MONEY

Taranaki Daily News, 15 September 1927, Page 7

BIG MONEY

ELECTRIC HARE RACING. / With the £40,000 profits collected from the tin hares in three months, and with 200 greyhounds, American citizen Judge Swindell, sailed from Sydney the other day for South Africa. Some months back (says the Sydney Guardian) the Judge arrived in Sydney armed with plans and specifications of his electric hare apparatus, a pleasing personality, and the idea of floating a tin hare coursing company. But things weren’t as easy as they might have been when the Greyhound Coursing Association, Ltd., was in its infancy. Parliament took exception to in hare coursing when it was proposed to sped fically legalise that form of sport in the Gaming and Betting Act, which was being amended at that time. The Judge didn’t seem perturbed. He went on with the building of the Epping tin hare track, and wjien it was completed the stuffed body of a real hare was substituted for tl.c tin model. Mr, Lysaght, Attorney-General, then announced that in his personal opinion tin hare coursing was legal, and that the Crown would not institute prosecution. The Judge’s company has been successful. One pound shares rose at one time to £lO, and now stand at £7, consequent upon the crowds of between 30,000 and 40,000 who ' have attended regularly'each Saturday night. The profits on a night meeting, it is conservatively estimated, are over £3OOO, and the large amounts given to charities by the Greyhound Coursing Association, Ltd., after their two benefit meetings, held on off afternoons, verify the estimate. The Judge is run down now aft.-r l.is .exertions and needs a holiday trip but he and his wife arc coming back to Australia again. Why shouldn’t they? Forty thousand pounds in three months is attractive, and although ho is taking 200 greyhounds over to South Africa with Mr. Len Fowler, one of the directors of the company, in charge of the canine cargo, the Judge prefers the Australian climate.

It the meantime, the Judge states that ha has no intention of cashing his interest in the Greyhound Coursing Association, Ltd., although an offer of £lOO,OOO in cash was made to hii i.