THE TOTALISATOR.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1151, 2 May 1912, Page 7

THE TOTALISATOR.

The N.S.W. Totalisator Commissioners, who were through New Zealand at the beginning of the year, are still in quest of evidence and have recently been collecting information in the Mother State. That the Commission will compile much useful informat on is beyond question; that it will be confronted with much evidence that is contradictory, is also undeniable. The issue really is as to whether man or machine betting contains the most advantages. This imports into the question not only the interests of racing clubs and bookmakers but n a lesser degree, owners and trainers. There is also that most important factor the public, on which the success or failure of horse-racing depends. THE CONTENDING’ INTERESTS. That both the racing club and the bookmakers will strenuously uphold their views it is only reasonable to expect; the issue is a concrete one for them. On the other part, the public is an abstract body that is not likely to mater.alise before the Commission. The result will be that the Commission will require to make due allowance for what may be termed “interested evidence.” The question is so wide that there is really room for divergent opinions on it, and equally conscientious men may honestly differ in their conclusions; hence the task of the Commission is by no means an easy one. BENEFITS OF THE TOTALISATOR. One of the first witnesses examined in Sydney was Mr C. W. Cropper, secretary of the Australian Jockey Club, who had considerable experience of the totalisator in Western Australia. Mr Cropper favoured the machine. It helped a club’s revenue considerably, and he had never heard any compla nt from the people about the 10 per cent deduction. The totalisator increased the area of betting, but not the volume. It benefitted the horseowner who raced fox' prize-money, and the revenue also helped to improve the racecourses. As bearing on Mr Levien’s proposed division of the percentage —5 per cent, for the club and 5 per cent, for the Government —he - thought a more equitable division would be 7% per cent, for the club and 2% pei' cent, for the Government. The investments at the Spring . meeting at Randwick would probably aniount to £230,000, and about £7OO,-

000 would be put through in a year at that course. He did not think the country clubs would derive as much benefit from the totalisator as they expected and he favoured the custom of allowing the bookmaker to work side by side with the totalisator. Nontriers in races were not as numerous as many people thought. If there were no betting he. did not think there would be any horse-racing. VIEWS OF PRESSMEN. Two well-known Sydney sporting writers (Messrs R. Mostyn and F. Wilkinson) also gave evidence before the Commission. Mr Mostyn expressed himself as being neither actually for nor against the totalisator, but was of opinion the 10 per cent deduction was much too heavy. He was opposed to credit betting, and it would be no loss if the total sator were to knock out the big punter. It would be impossible to carry on racing if all betting were abolished. He could not recall more than two registered bookmakers who

had failed to meet their liabilities. The bookmaker must win in the end. BETTER FOR THE SPORT. Mr Wilkinson favoured the introduction of the totalisator, but was of opinion that sound bookmakers should be licensed to do business with those people unable to visit the racecourse. He looked to the totalisator to restore racing in the co'tmtry districts, and by increasing the stakes greatly improve matters for the owners. 1 The introduction of the totalisator would make for cleaner sport. Bookmaking at present was a monopoly, but that could not w’ell be helped. Few owners raced nowadays for the love of the sport, and stakes were not sufficiently high for the man who did not bet to pay for the upkeep of his stable. The majority of bookmakers were well off, and very few came into the game with any money. STATE CONTROL. In commenting on the evidence taken in Sydney the “Sportsman” remarks that the Commissioners will do well not to overlook the fact that, apart from the claims of race clubs on the one part, and bookmakers on the-other, that their system of betting and control is the best, there is another system, that, of State control, that has-.undeniable claims for serious consideration,- On the assumption that the Commission is seeking for a solution of a much vexed question,

that will be equitable to all parties, inclusive of the public, the claims of State control cannot be overlooked. If the labours of the Commission are to be restricted only to deciding whether the race clubs oi' the bookmakers are to be further advantaged then the necessity of the Commission is not ciear. The contending parties might well be left to fight out their own battle, irrespective of the public that finds the'stakes fought for. ‘ THE PUBLIC INTEREST.

A glimmering of reason appears to have entered into the'issue, that the public have some claims for consideration, and this is - indicated by the fact that a proposal exists, that the public shall advantage to the extent of 5 pei - cent, should the totalisaor become legalised. This proposal enunciates the pr nciple of State participation in the profits of betting. The principle, once being admitted, is surely worthy of being more seriously considered than it at present appears to be by the Commission.

THE TOTALISATOR IN N.Z. Mr Robert Hollis, M.L.A., a member of the iN.S.W. Totalisator Commission, told an interviewer that while he did not wish to express any opinion about what the report of the Commission should be, he thought the evidence was in favour of the tptalisator. He was struck by. the beautiful racecourses in New Zealand. In fact, the members of the Commission were similarly impressed. The law there compelled the clubs to spend net profits from the totalisator in stakes and the upkeep of the ground, and they had, of course, to send ther returns to the Treasury every year. The revenue from the totalisator was undoubtedly a large one, and the consequence w’as that- the New Zealand racecourses were, from the standpoint of population, the finest in the world. THE TOTE AND MORALS. The anti-totalisator party will be amazed at the idea of a Young Men’s Christian Association debate having gone in favour of the totalisator, but this astounding thing has happened in Melbourne. The Y.M.C.A. debaters took the point of view that as the less of seemingly inevitable evils the tot e is highly desirable. In referring to' this decision the Melbourne “Punch” states ! “.Those members of the Y.M.C.A. who. argued - for the totalisatoi' held that the gamblinginstinct was universal and ineradic-

able. This is true, taking society as it is - . It might not be true of an ideal society, and it, may ■be that' growth and' development will prove that the gambling instinct is not ineradicable. But we must think of the world as it is and people as they are, and from that common-sense and eminently business-like point of view gambling is universal and inevitable.”-