Catering For The Small Investors.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18947, 18 December 1929, Page 14

Catering For The Small Investors.

NO TEN SHILLING TOTAUSATOR FOR LAWN PATRONS AT AUCKLAND MEETINGS.

(Special to the “ Star.") AUCKLAND, December IS. It is understood, although no official information has been given out. that at the Cup meeting the Auckland Trotting Ciub, while not issuing ten shilling tickets to lawn patrons on the totalisator. are making provision to pay out on such tickets. This will do away with the inconvenience of having to go outside to have winning ten shilling tickets cashed. There are only two or three courses in the whole of the Dominion where lawn patrons are not provided with a ten shilling totalisator, and, strangely enough, these particular courses are in Auckland. Just why these two or three clubs do not fall into line is known only to the clubs themselves, but apparently they consider the reason a good one. The five most important clubs in Auckland are the Auckland Racing Club, Takapuna Jockey Club, Avondale Jockey Club, Auckland Trotting Club and Otahuhu Trotting Club, and not one of them has a ten shilling totalisator on the inside, and so far only at Ellerslie and Avondale has it been possible to cash ten shilling tickets with-

out having to go outside. The Otahuhu Trotting Club was very anxious to provide such facilities at the meeting last month, but could not do so, because the club races on the Auckland Trotting Club’s course. However, the Otahuhu Club is out to cater for the public, and if a move is made to the course at Otahuhu next season there will be a ten shilling totalisator installed both inside and out.

There is no guarantee that totalisator receipts would decrease if facilities were provided to invest ten shillings on the lawn enclosure: on the other hand, it is more than likely the receipts would increase in Auckland just as they have shown substantial increases in the south this season. It is certain that the “ gate ” would be considerably added to, because there are hundreds who do not patronise the inside nowadays in Auckland for the reason that there is no ten shilling totalisator there. However, the Auckland Trotting Club has taken the first of the two steps to cater for the ten shilling backer on the lawn, and perhaps in the verv near future we shall see the club taking the second step and providing the muchdesired totalisator.