RACING, BETTING, AND ECONOMY.
[TO TIN EDITOR OP TIN " BPICTAT0116"]
SIR,—During the interval between the general suspension of horse-racing and its revival at Newmarket, I was struck by the appearance in the newspapers of the city in which I dwell of columns giving pretty full reports of Irish race meetings, of which I had previously been in blissful ignorance. These reports were filled with the usual criticism of form, with forecasts of probable results and full details of the betting. The plea of supporting " the great horse-breeding industry" could hardly pass in this case, because the Irish branch of that industry got along quite well in the past without the support of notable British newspapers, and the readers of these papers were quite incurious about it. The real reason why reputable British papers are now giving such prominence (the reports have evidently come to stay) to Irish races, of which most of their readers bad never heard, is without doubt the necessity in newspaper proprietors' eyes of providing pabulum for the great betting fraternities which literally infest our cities and manufacturing districts. Now this is a class which in these days of economy should be economized out of existence. It has often been proposed, and I believe Bills have been brought in to effect it, that the publication of betting news should be prohibited. It would be even wise, I think, to go further, and under the powers of the Press Bureau forbid the publication of forecasts, directly or indirectly, of all betting news or references to such. Let the sporting correspondents confine their remarks absolutely to accom- plished facts, under monetary penalties smart enough to make even wealthy papers pause. I question whether it would be wise to permit even lists of forthcoming races and probable starters; but if it were thought too severe to prohibit these, let them be printed in strictly alphabetical order and in uniform type. It would be necessary to apply the same decree to Irish papers, or forbid their sale in this country or
use of the post to it.—I am, Sir, &c., ECONOAIT.
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