The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9394, 22 March 1898, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY.

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 1898.

WELSHING.

The parasites known as " welshera " who prey on the more gullible racecourse habitues in this colony are fortunately few in number, but there is evidence of late that these chevaliers d'inditstrie are by no means growing less numerous. Now and again instances are brought prominently before sporting-men which prove that such black-legs are still pursuing a lucrative calling, and fattening on their dupes. This is the more frequent at some of the country meetings, particularly in the backblocks, where there is no totalisator permit and where but little trouble, if any, is taken by the club officials as to the bom fides of those calling the odds. It is manifestly unfair to those bookmakers who are recognised for their genuineness and honesty that they should have to compete with the " spieler " class. It shows great laxity on tho part of club officials, not to say metropolitan clubs, that such is permitted. At a very recent hack meeting in the country the gravest rumours were afloat as to the preconcerted action of two of the " welsher " species, who, having little or nothing to lose, laid heavily against a pronounced favourite for one or more of the events. As it was cash betting, tho layers of long odds first pocketed the investors' money, and when the lucky (?) backers went to receive their dividends (for the favourite won very easily), the two "bookies " referred to were conspicuous by their absence — in fact, one of them hurriedly left directly he saw, there was no hope of meeting his engagement?. Of course, he departed without even returning to the confiding punters the money they had given into his hands as a guarantee of good faith on their part. In Australia the welsher is dealt with according to his deserts — two years' " hard," with the first three months " solitary " is about tho average sentence — anil it wants something like that to check these harpios in New Zealand. Whatever legislation may do on the matter the course for small racing club 3to follow is very e'ear. If they cannot get totalisator permits, and allow bookmakers on the course, a satisfactory guarantee should be exacted from the latter, showing that they can meet their engagements. Those of them who can do so will not make the slightest objection ; in fact, it is to the interests of the genuine metallician that he should do everything in his power to see tho rule carried out to the letter. Those who failed to give such a guarantee would not be allowed on the course. Thus a great deal would be done to purify racecourses from the presence of such unsavoury rascals as those to whom we have referred. It is all very well to cavil at the gambling evil, which is, no doubt, a large and growing one and a deterrent to our wellbeing as colonists ; but it must be borne in mind that, unfortunately, numbers of people will gamble, and that betting on horse-races is one of its most popular forms. If we, as members of the community, cannot expunge such gambling, let us at least try to clean the Augean stable as much as possible. Instead of ignoring the betting element, it should be the place of those oonnected with the sport of racing to do everything possible to bring the book-making fraternity to as high a standard of honesty as possible, but while the welsher is allowed to go scot free this will never be attained.