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New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IV, Issue 198, 10 May 1894, Page 4

Some people have hazy ideas about bookmakers’ odds. It is generally those who have, had no experience of “ bookie” who talk in this random fashion. They seem to think that a bookmaker is a sort of Sydney Mint —he can turn out sovereigns as readily and easily as a cow gives forth her milk at the touch of the milker. We can assure them that the bookmaker, in a figurative sense, is a very hard subject to milk; in fact he takes milking. No, the bookmaker ligument has no weight against the machine looking at the matter from the public’s standpoint. The interest of the public must be looked after as well as the owners’, and to place both on a fair footing in betting the totalisator cannot be beaten. Of course the bookmaker would like to see the machine abolished, and we don’t blame him in that point, because its abolition would materially enhance his business, and therefore he is only looking after himself when he desires to see it passed out by the Legislature. But as regards the other people who loudly condemn the machine, their hostility can’t be accounted for. They never go to race meetings, never bet (some might on the sly), know next to nothing about turf matters, and yet they want to come in and spoil the pleasure of those who like racing and patronise it. Well, their action can. only be put down to what the Yankees term." pure cussedness.” r With as much right might some people get up an agitation for the abolition of " bun fights ” and " muffin scrambles,” as the persons referred to have in always tilting against the machine, which is connected with a legitimate sport, patronised by the best and most influential men in the land. While some are agitating for the abolition of the totalisator in New Zealand, the movement in favour of its introduction in to the racecourses of Victoria and New South Wales is weekly becoming more pronounced, and the day does not appear far off when the "ting ting” of the tote bell will be heard, at Flemington and Caulfi,eld, and perhaps Rand-

wick. The people over there have evidently been surfeited with bookmakers and private “ tote ” shops, and hanker after the comfort and convenience for backing with which the racing clubs of New Zealand provide their patrons. We believe that the totalisator will weather any storm that may burst upon in the next session of Parliament.