Comments on Passing Events.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 2005, 15 December 1886, Page 2

Comments on Passing Events.

Willihotoi, Dee 10. Tu TemuAToa. The popularity of thia novel invention as a (ait and square gambling machine has not by soy means faded oat; bat that its szeeading fairness is being called in question te not to be wondered at. That the totalisator is open to abnse is conceded by s met ma» who visit rsoe-eonrses, bat on that point I do not intend to sey anything. Gambling of all descriptions was abolished bv Act at Parliament, but this delighful invention wan saved out of the wreck, because it was eonsidared a fair and open meant of the gen seal public investing their superfloonseash. 14* not intend to go into elaborate nalenlattonc on the subject, but will as briefly as possible show that, generally spaakiog, it is not sash a fair means ef invastmant as those which have been abolished. An amateur spnrtwf could always get, say, mum average of £6 te £1 allowing the bookmaker the field; and if ha was ever inch an amateur he would laugh at the idea of anyooc offering him even money on the field against the favorite, yet he will go and invest £1 in tha totalisator m hi* favorite hone, of coarse, having the field against him, at a time whan he knows hu will not get ranch more than 10s over and above the £1 he has invested. He will do this, as I have said before, when he would ask a bookmaker if he thought he wee deal* ing with a fool, if the said bookmaker offered him no more than cveo money. In other words the ametenr sportsman will gladly pot £1 in the totalisator with only tha ehanee of getting 10s, bat woald scorn the offer of a bookmaker who offered him even money. Unices the totalisetor can be made to pay a better dividend lor the money invested tUan it does at the present time, the old style appears to be quite ee fair as the present I have talked the matter over with imatswr sportsmen, and the idea has baan enggeeted that two dividend! be paid, one on the Aral and one on the second hone, or one dividend to those who could name tha first and eeeoad bones. There would bo fewer winners in this case, bnt there certainly would bt a dividend worth risking a £1 (or.

BinUCBKKKI. The Government have tor a long time had the question of retrenchment under serious consideration, but nothing of a very definite character has been accomplished until lately. Following on the fact that the Celonial Secretary, Mr Bnckley, would not have a reserved carriage all to himself, tbe eivil servants have been notified that they must also give np put luxuries and ia p’aee of “ Brown Windsor ” sup used by them in

the past to wuh their henda with, they will only be provided with common yellow eoap. This is e small beginning, bat may have a Wg ending. At all events there is the fact, that while other departments of the Government service have been using common yellow soap the civil servants proper have been using “ Brown Windsor.” Mow as they have in tile matter of eoap come down to an equality with other employees of the Govern meat there is no reason why they should not ootne down to an equality in the matter of working hours ; in feet, there has been some talk of it. If this was done end if a few pounds were deducted from the higher and, in most oases, extravagantly paid civil entrants something like justice would be dona to those who have power to pay the taxes. But why not, in the case of civil servants and others is the Government employ, do as ie done outside, and that is. Jet them work ou hull time, if there is not enough for them to do. instead of discharging a few poorly paid unfortunates, ss is generally the ease daring a retrenchment mania on the part of say sad every Government ? lam afraid there is too math influence for over anything to bo dona in a just manner in the ahape of rotteaeh* mem in the Qovernmant aerviee. In private establishments the employees are kept on half time when work U slack, and they an told if thay do not like it they sea leave M. WhvtL„ say Government could be found strong enough to do tbs same thing with regard to their employee* ie vary doubtful, until the general public insist, Ihraagh thrir representatives, of rstrenchmsat beiag tsirisd out in e practical manner and with joatlM It all parties, particularly the taxpayers. I have just beard that tbs order lor yellow eoap has been countermanded. Com* urn