Tote Or Bookie.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19154, 21 August 1930, Page 8

Tote Or Bookie.

To the Editor. Dear Sir, —I have been. awakened from my dream. I was sitting on the grandstand on the concluding day of the races after the fifth race “stoney broke,” and had smoked my last cigarette. In my bitter moments I thought of the way I had been exploited at the test match; the exorbitant price I had paid for that last packet of smokes; I thought of the money I had put through the tote, and wished I had even the 3s in the pound back: then I dreamt I saw “Mr Forbes” and I gazed upon him w’ith eyes of admiration thinking of all he had done lor me, till at last I could restrain myself no longer. I rose and called the multitude about me exclaiming, “Boys, we are all sports, I ask you to join me in giving three hearty cheers for Mr Forbes.” Though I do not approve of our Prime Minister as a politician. 1 do give him credit as a “jester,” and I am rudely awakened to know the owners and trainers do not help to pay the tote tax. I am now left with the belief that the owners and trainers who have not forsaken us for Australia, either do not bet, or do so entirelyW’ith the bookmakers, in which case they show common sense, as suggested by Mr Coates.

Mr Forbes tells us we do not mind the “tote” exploiting a little more out of our pound at a time like this. Of course we don’t, considering that it takes us all our ingenuity to spare sufficient to go to the races at all these hard times.

Mr Forbes is wise to get in early with his prediction that the turnover of the “tote” will decrease under the new' tax, but how is he going to assist the racing club* to overcome the deficiency? Is he going to push racing into the mire, and then ask the bookmakers to redeem it? The Prime Minister says we not go to the races if we objected to the “tote tax,” and he is going to see his words come markedly true. Racing officials are going to regret that they do not heed the warning of men of the world; we are not advocating the reinstatement of bookmakers for their sake only, we do so knowing it will assist the racing clubs, and the sport generally.—l am, etc., TRIBUO-