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ENGLAND NEEDS MUTUELS Writer for Influential Newspaper Gives Rea ¬ sons for Adoption of French Methods Perhaps the colossal individual wagering which Visconnr Chaplin and other veterans will recall lias disappeared though we still have our young patricians who are keen to tilt against the ring and usually got their wings severely singed In the process In place of the big individual wagering we now find betting spread over n vastly wider area than ever was known before The oldtime leviathan bookmaker has gone and in his stead reign dozens of men who arc prepared to lay the odds to what is now regarded as substantial money moneyI I think that on the majority of racing days the number of bookmakers in Tuttersalls ring is double tho muster of prewar days You get the same story from the smaller inclosures For the most patt the layers enjoy plenty of custom If that were not the case should we see them in the same places at meeting sifter meeting meetingDIVERTING DIVERTING THE PROFITS PROFITSOut Out of all this arises the important question Of whether a movement should not be made to divert the profits of hookmaking into other direc ¬ tions Howls of indignant protests come from interested quarters as soon as the suggestion is made that we should adopt tile totalizator system of betting in this country Ve are told for one thing that it destroys the spirit of sport On the other hand Sir George Clifford who has seen tlie machine completely oust the bookmaker in New aland has spoken of the cleansing influence of the totalizator I have followed all the arguments agamst the pariinutnel which automatically come up when the subject is under discussion but there is not one which cannot lie convincingly contr verted vertedViewing Viewing tlie question broaiiinindedlyj I believe that the only real danger to the turf which conii arise front the legalization of the totalizator is that politicians might not handle the proceeds in tlie right way The policy of grab which was insi tnted in New Smith Wales three years ago wilt n the government decided to take 7 per rent of lle money leaving only threetenths to be expended in prizes and on Hie upkeep of the totalizator might conceivably come to pass in this country as well leaving the last state of racing worse than its first I point out this danger as a racegoer racegoerWHERE WHERE THE MONEY GOES GOESSince Since the war an increase has been made in France in tin percentage deducted from the pfiri mutucl turnover It now amounts to no less than 11 per cent Tims the total revenue last year after backers had drawn their winnings was over C5 250000 According to our Paris correspondent this amount was distributed as follows followsParis Paris ratepayers received relief to the extent of about iilUOOOOO in the form of a 2 per cent tax on the total bets which was allotted to poor relief Agricultural and educational funds bene ¬ fited to the extent of about C 150000 A sum of nearly 42 ISO 000 was devoted to wafer supply pur ¬ poses in the Pails region nearly tlltfOOOOO went to the relief of the poor and to the water supply in the devastated regions and nearly AIOOOOO to the encouragement of horse breeding while the racing organizations obtained from tin same source 1112000 for the upkeep of courses and other necessary expenditure expenditureNo No exception can be taken to this method of distribution and if the parinmtncl or tote were to be run upon similar lines in this couiitry the community at large would benefit Many deserving institutions could be assisted not least those hospitals which arc ever in pressing need of funds Horse breeding and agricultural inter ¬ ests could be materially advanced Owners and breeders would have the advantage of better prices and tin former would have a better chance of running their stables without serious loss The racing public too would benefit in that race ¬ courses would have funds to devote to the im ¬ provement of accommodation which is sorely needed in many places placesPOSITION POSITION OF THE BOOKMAKERS BOOKMAKERSThe The question whether Irookmakers should be per ¬ mitted to shout the Mlds where the totalizator 1 installed will be sharply discussed This system holds good in Belgium Australia Surd elsewhere and my experience in the first country is that while the bookmakers have been well patronized the machines are comparatively neglected Of course a certain revenue is derivabo from UIK taxation of bookmakers in the shape of expensive licenses but my impression is that if you want to make a really big thing of the totalizator method you would be stultifying it by permitting the com ¬ petition of the bookmakers bookmakersFrance France quickly discovered that the only real way of making the parimutliel successful was to prohibit the bookmakers and renewed efforts are being made there to suppress unofficial books The posi ¬ tion of starling price officers handbooks is another complex point which calls for consideration Will they have to close their doors if the totalizator comes into force in this country Possibly most of them would be glad to continue business at total ¬ izator prices though they would obviously stand to suffer heavy losses if commissions were worked through the offices instead of on the race course On the other hand they could partially safeguard themselves against socalled jobs just as they do today I feel that the abolition of the offices would be regarded as nothing less than a genuine hardship by those who are able to attend the meet ¬ ings only occasionally occasionallyOf Of course if totalizator betting were officially recognized here the laws relating to betting would have to be completely changed That reform would at leasf he welcomed by all connected with the turf Watchman in London Morning Post
