294 TALES OF THE TURF. 



Pool-sellers and book-makers will oppose the abolish- 

 ment of the system, because, as they claim, "it will keep 

 money out of the box," on which they and the associations 

 now get a percentage. But my experience with pool- 

 sellers is that they are about the shortest-sighted business 

 men imaginable. They can't see that any and every safe- 

 guard that can be thrown around their business only in- 

 spires confidence, and with confidence increased business, 

 both from habitual followers and from wealthy gentle- 

 men who now do not bet a dollar — not from adverse 

 principle simply, but because they do not want to be con- 

 sidered lambs to be shorn by the job shearers. The pool- 

 seller of the future is the one who will act in co-operation 

 with the judges' stand and the association, whose servant 

 he is, and be ready, willing and anxio.us to expose a steal ; 

 in the past it has been their motto, anything to shield and 

 cover up a job. There is no reason why book-making and 

 French mutual pools cannot be carried on on the result of 

 the race, and while possibly the volume of business might 

 temporarily fall off for the time, it would speedily gain 

 greater proportions than ever before. 



Horsemen want five per cent, entrance, and properly 

 insist that the revenue should come from the gate ; the at- 

 tending public howl for free admission, and the track 

 managers get cussed "from A to izzard" from both quar- 

 ters. 



