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REGISTRATION WORKS WELL. The cable has informed us that the executives of Kempton Park. Sandown Park, Gatwick and Hurst Park Race Clubs propose to abolish amateur bookmaking outside what was known as Tattersalls enclosure, but those in the habit of laying the odds in tlie quarters now prohibited declare that their expulsion would lie tantamount to an admission that betting is permitted in a specified area by tlie various club executives, who would therefore be liable to prosecution under the anti-gambling law. Now, Australian sportsmen visiting England invariably return witn the conviction that We have nothing to learn in connection with race course management and control from tlie old country authorities; whilst, from a betting noint of view, our system of supervision 1ms for maliv vears been out of sight ahead of that prevailing in eithec. England or any other country where the bookmaker is tlie sole medium of turf investment. And the secret of this is registration, which, In addition to bringing the purveyor of odds more directlv under official control, is an interminable source of revenue to tho clubs. both bona-fide and proprietary. It is dnlv reasonable to suppose that what registration has done for the legitimate bookmaker by placing him in tho position of recognized trust that he occupies hen-today, can be accomplished in other countries, and it appears strange to those at a distance that a similar system of registration was not long ago initiated on the English turf. l p till quite recently when it became necessary to limit tlie number, no applicant of good repute for a bookmakers license was refused by the Australian Jockev Club provided the necessary fees and guarantees demanded by the club were forthcoming: and that these- are not prohibitive is evidenced bv the fact that there are always numerous applications in reserve waiting for present license-holders to drop out and make 100111 for others who are imbued with the idea thafi 1 bookmaking is the surest and shortest route to llnence. The expulsion from the English courses named of those bookmakers not recognized as members of the ring, as threatened, may provide the opportunity of registration; and if tlie introduction of the system does as much for racing in England as it lias done in Australia, it only so far as regards the riddance of the balancer "and welsher is concerned, then the race-going public of the old country will have something indeed to be thankful for It took the, leading race clubs of this country a good many years to get betting facilities up to their present state of perfection., but they are to be complimented on what they have achieved. -Svdney Referee,
