MISFORTUNES OF RACING CLUBS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1359, 11 May 1916, Page 9

MISFORTUNES OF RACING CLUBS.

The Feilding Jockey Club has had a very unusual experience in these days and a very expensive one through a mistake in declaring the dividends on one of the races on the second day at more than they should. The club’s loss is estimated at £7OO, which is a large sum, and it seems extraordinary that the discovery was not made in time to pre vent so much being paid out. A statement of the amounts lost in the same way by various clubs and totalisator proprietors in New Zealand from the time the first totalisato" was introduced into the Dominion would surprise even those who know by experience what has happened to themselves. How much of the amount paid out in error the club will receive back from those who collected more than they were entitled to cannot be guessed, but the writer remembers occasions when considerable sums were paid away through similar mistakes. The over-paid investors, though made aware of th n

fact by a notification at the totalis ator house at one of the meetings down Taranaki way some years ago, failed to disgorge, and the totalis ator contractor was a heavy loser. In different parts of New Zealand the same thing has been experienced, and a good many years ago at Ellerslie the Auckland Racing Club lost over £lOOO on one occasion A very interesting little volume could be published of the experiences of clubs throughout the Dominion with regard to happenings in connection with the totalisator. It has at times occurred that dividends have remained unclaimed, and a big southern club had a windfall in this way some years ago, and is probably still waiting for someone to turn up and present a ticket for at least one considerable amount. Clubs have paid out short on occasions, and have men had a difficulty in settling just claims after discovering mistakes. When paid more than they have been entitled to. spectators as a body have had no qualms of conscience in retaining the amounts, but have been found clamouring for amounts short paid to them, and, as a matter of fact, clubs have had the experience of receiving claims from their patrons of amounts considerably in excess of what as a body they have been entitled to. It says very little for the sense o c honour of the racecourse totalisator investors when they fi. al themselvo<: the possessors of money which doe? not belong to them thiough a mistake of one or more unfortunate ac countants when they fail to make restitution. Possibly the Feilding Jockey Club will be more fo•'tunate than other clubs whose experiences in paying out too much have not been at all happy. Seven hundred p und" is a very large sum to pay away in error, but much of it one would imagine would be receive I by honest people and at least a large proportion of the amount sm>uld find its way back to the rightful owne.s. It will be interesting to learn how the club will get on in this connection. The practice of issuing books to investors who have made p.ior financial arrangements with clubs is still carried on and in cases of that sort the opportunity for correct!• g mistakes like the one in question would be taken advantage of as a matter of course. The Feilding Jockey Club is one of the most popular on the West Coast of this Island, and the unfortunate mistake of which they are the victims is one which will bring with it some sympathy.