RACING TELEGRAMS CAN BE SENT VERY EASILY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18939, 9 December 1929, Page 3

RACING TELEGRAMS CAN BE SENT VERY EASILY.

Department Does Not Concern Itself About Meaning of Codes. (Special to the “ Star.”) AUCKLAND, December 7. There are many and devious ways of sending telegrams, despite the Post Office regulations. For instance, there is no difficulty in sending a message such as “ Willie wants a blue shirt.” or “ Tom likes green apples,” for it is not the duty of a telegraph officer to inquire into the reason for such apparent absurdities.

A "Star” representative was told this morning that an impression that there was a leal-cage of information—particularly racing information—from the Auckland telegraph office was entirely wrong. Most of the racing telegrams were coded, and the operators had no means of knowing what the messages really meant. On the Murray multiplex machines, the telegraphists had to work at high pressure, and they could not leave the machine unless they were specially relieved. "The whole thing was over-exagge-rated and was very inopportune,” said one of the members of the staff this morning. He added that he was afraid it would tend to undo much of the good work in endeavouring to secure better salary conditions. There were not more than twelve men involved, and the betting amounts recorded over the tapped wire were so small as to be' beneath the contempt of any Auckland “bockie,” except one dealing in small bets. If the men caught could be brought to book, they would have to suffer disciplinary punishment. There was no doubt that the “little breeze” would have the desired effect, but in future the term “listening-in” would produce a peculiar feeling. The heavy backing of Lydia last Saturday did not concern the telegraph men. His concluding remark was: “From many years’ experience as a telegraphist who does not deal in racing or attend race meetings, I can safely say that the prevailing idea that many good things are picked up from inside telegraph information is nothing but a fallacy ” The Post and telegraph is regarded as the least inquisitive of Government Departments, and, as a business orga nisation. it is out to get all the revenue that is offering Seeing that horse raing is the national sport of New Zealand —somebody once ironically de scribed it as the Dominion’s leading industry—it provides a continuous run of telegraphic business on almost every working day of the year. Betting tele grams are not received, but there is nothing to prevent the public gently coding their messages. Should one care to telegraph to a friend on a race day or thereabout that “Willie wants a blue shirt,” or that “Tom likes green apples," it will be safely freighted to its destination, as officially there is nothing to connect such apparently in

nocuous messages with betting telegrams. There may also be people wiring a succession of messages, which read, “Fifty cases whisky, twenty brandy,” or “Buy ten barrels of cider.”. A polite department does not inquire into the reason for thirsts which appear to be unquenchable. It is permissible to wire the name of a racehorse. There is a way also of wiring both the name of a racehors© and the amount which an investoi wants to put on it. One could walk to the counter at the General Post Office this morning and telegraph to a friend at Ashburton the words “Dutch Money.” The sender would then hav© merely to walk to the nearest branch post office and telegraph the words, “Five pounds.” Both messages would go. The relation of one to the othei is apparently not a matter of departmental concern. It is a fact that of late some race horses met with very solid support in Auckland immediately after telegraphic messages had come through concern ing them. There are a variety of explanations. The recipient of the mes sage may have told his best friend in a stage whisper. A laying-off process might have set the ball rolling, and more than likely quite a number of people got a similar good tip and told all and sundry. It has been a rather hectic week for the telegraph staff at the Auckland Post Office. Last Saturday and Monday, when races were on, a telephone line used by members of the telegraphic staff was tapped. Conversations over the wire were carefully recorded. An inquiry followed, and the result is bong awaited with considerable interest Although the inquiry has been regarded as one of those periodic “storm in a teacup” affairs which occasionally trouble Government departments, there is, nevertheless, the feeling in the service that it was rather a mean sort of game to play. It w'as stated this morning that the tapping of the wire should be able to enlighten the departmental heads considerably in con* ' uection with the domestic arrangements and frugal methods of living of the lelegraph minor officials. A suggestion has been made that the inquiry was launched as the result of complaints by Auckland bookmakers, but that has been repudiated. The reason is at the moment more or less a departmental secret.