The reproduced article appeared in the GOTBA Greyhound Gazette, August 1977.

Long Struggle for Non-Proprietary Greyhound Racing in Victoria
By D.P. Heneberry, Past President of the GOTBA

In 1929 an Association was formed by Greyhound Owners, Trainers and Breeders. Later in the year, the Executive submitted a number of requests to the Clubs for an increase in stakemoney and improvements to the tracks and kennels. Clubs refused the requests.

The Executive called a General Meeting and a ban was placed on owners nominating their dogs at Napier Park Club. In a few weeks the Executive called another general meeting of Owners and Trainers at which they made a recommendation to lift the ban and instructed owners to nominate again. The meeting would not accept such a ruling but decided to continue the strike.

Executive Resigns

The Executive resigned and walked out of the hall. A new Executive was immediately elected to carry on the strike. For a few weeks the Club had difficulty in securing enough greyhounds for a programme. The big boss of one city Club went to the country and purchased 40 to 50 dogs. They were given names and registered by the NCA.

The strike lasted 26 weeks, during that time, OTBA Executive could see that it was hopeless to meet the Clubs head on over any dispute. It was decided to make representation to the NCA Executive re any grievances which we desired rectified. (We could never find out who have the NCA the power to control greyhound racing). However, that was the position and we had to go along with it. We made representations to that body to have certain improvements to the sport and amendments to rules. It was there we found out that the proprietary Clubs controlled the NCA Executive. (The body that was controlling greyhound racing).

Representation on NCA Annual Conference

Our next effort was to try and get representation at the Annual Conference of the NCA as we were told that was the only place where new rules could be made and present rules altered.

We were also told that we would have to form a Field Coursing Club and obtain registration for same by the NCA to run a 16 dog stake to enable the OTBA to have two delegates on the Conference.

We formed that Club and rant the first Meeting at Diggers Rest behind the Oval Hotel in 1932.

We continued to run a Field Meeting each year at Melton, Sydenham and Diggers Rest until 1947 to comply with NCA rules. In 1947, the Benalla Plumpton Club offered OTBA the use of their Plumpton course. The NCA Executive agreed. We ran a two-day meeting which was a great success.

Successful Meetings on Plumpton

Nominations were received from all over Victoria and the southern part of NSW.

A programme of one 32 dog stake, three 16 dog, five 8 dogs with prizemoney to the value of 675, with 800 value of trophies. The money and trophies were supplied by bookmakers who worked at Napier Park, Maribyrnong and Sandown Park.

For the next four years, our meetings were held twice at Bendigo, twice at Geelong. At all of these meetings, the OTBA added 100 to their Championship. Profits averaged 200 per meeting, which was equally divided between the Club which loaned the ground and the OTBA.

One of the reasons that our Plumpton Meetings were so successful and popular, was that our Judge and Slipper had the confidence of all coursing people.

Mr Jack McKenna, who was our Judge, had judged all the Coursing Meetings for the Tynong Plumpton Club for 12 years. In 1947 he was invited by NCA of South Australia to judge both the Derby and Oaks of that year.

Mr McKenna set a high standard as a Judge which gave entire satisfaction to the owners of greyhounds and followers of the sport.

Mr Doug Harwood, the Slipper (a member of our Association) did all the slipping at the OTBA meetings. He was such a success, and when members of the NCA Executive saw the brilliant exhibition he gave they engaged him as Official Slipper to the NCA of Victoria. Doug had the honour of slipping the greyhounds in the Waterloo Cup, Derby and Oaks for many years.

Proprietary Clubs Form a Control Council

In the meantime, the proprietary Speed Clubs form a Greyhound Control Council in an endeavor to oust the NCA from control.

When this Control Council found it could not damage the NCA it turned its attention to organising all the Speed Clubs in the country, which were all proprietary, to send delegates to the NCA Conference.

OTBA formed branches in all localities in which Proprietary Clubs had a track. Field Clubs were formed and a stake was run, which enabled the NCA to register, so as to allow the Club to send two delegates to the Conference.

An item which the OTBA had placed on the agenda for the NCA Annual Conference each year was that the policy of the NCA be altered so that Greyhound Racing in Victoria be placed under Government control, by the formation of a Government Control Board, the sport to be conducted on a proprietary basis, the installation of a mechanical lure and totalisator.

At the conference we were always a few votes short. It was at that time the late Tom Morley came to our aid in advocating our case. Some of the articles he wrote in the Sporting Globe were so forthright, that it startled the Clubs, public and politicians, so that at the next Annual Conference, the voting was equal.

The Chairman, the late Mr Campbell McArthur had casting vote, he voted in favour of the motion which was the first breakthrough we had in 16 years agitation. With renewed vigour, the Executive planned a big campaign to place our case before Parliament. A very strong case was made out , a copy was sent to every politician in the Victorian Parliament.

All our previous deputations to the Chief Secretaries over the years were just futile. In 1946 a Bill was introduced to Parliament by Mr Bill Slater who explained the Bill to the House and read a second time. Whilst we were waiting for the Bill to come before the Assembly again for discussion, a Proprietor of one of the city tracks wanted to bet a new hat that the legislation would not go through, how right he was. The Bill was withdrawn a week later

Legislation was Passed for Non-Proprietary Coursing

We were getting nowhere. It was then decided that some of us would attend all sessions of Parliament.

We interviewed all the Members over the years, and we received a promise from each Party that if legislation was introduced, they would support it.

As a Labor Government was in power, we concentrated on that. The rank and file members were very sympathetic but Cabinet would not introduce any legislation.

We appealed to the Central Executive of the Labor Party. The President of that body place the request before Caucus, with the result, Cabinet was instructed to introduce a Bill into Parliament along the lines asked for by the OTBA.

It was placed before Parliament in April 1954, discussed and passed in the Assembly in July 1954 and by Legislative Council in November 1954. It became law and written into the Statute Book in May 1955 (23 of agitation).

Architects Draw up Plans for Track and Building

We held our first non-proprietary meeting at Maribyrnong in January 1956 using the drag lure. It was not very successful as a spectacle. The Executive were told that Trustees of Olympic Park were interested, and a conference was held with that bodys Chairman, Mr Coleman.

He informed us that No 2 Oval would be available. A firm of Architects was engaged to draw up plans of our requirements, as to track, stands, fencing and building etc to place before the Trustees.

Prior to getting the green light from the Trustees of Olympic Park, we had been negotiating with Melbourne City Council and North Melbourne Football Club. In the meantime, an election was held by Parliament. Labor Party was defeated.

North Melbourne Football Club Secured

When the Liberal Government was formed, we made representation to them. They were very sympathetic, and we were asked to open negotiations with the City Council, as they considered that Olympic Park Oval was too close to Government House, it would be too noisy with the barking of the dogs. North Melbourne was secured at a price which we did not like, but had to accept.

After a firm of solicitors drew up a constitution and articles of association, a company was formed and an election held to elect Directors.

During the period 1929 to 1955, the OTBA had stakemoney increased from 86 to 250 per night and later 350.

All worthwhile reforms and alterations to rules were secured for greyhound owners, such as having fighters penalised, branding of greyhounds, bookmakers to use betting board, qualifying trials for low grade dogs, box draw to take place on the track before the public, automatic handicapping, veterinarian to be in attendance at all Melbourne meetings, photo finish at all greyhound racing meetings in the metropolitan area, installation of oscillating fans in kennels, installation of shields on starting boxes.

The fight was long and rugged with its heartbreaks and disappointments, but when one looks around at the present set-up for the racing of greyhounds, big prizemoney, good amenities for the public, high standard of presentation and promotion, the high regard it is held in the estimation of the sporting public, the recognition it has received by the Government then we must regard it as being worthwhile.

But what does the future hold, who can tell to what heights this sport will attain.

In concluding the article which I was invited to write, I would like to thank the owners and trainers for their loyalty down the years.

Just one thought for the Proprietary Clubs which we superseded, White City and Gracedale Park received 7000 each as compensation, which was paid by the two City Clubs. Napier Park was compulsorily acquired by the Town Planning Commission (Government body) and compensation was paid by the Government, Maribyrnong got nothing as the ground was held on a rental basis.

EXTERNAL LINK

There was a large gum tree on one of the highest points in her property. She wanted a good view of the natural splendor of her land so she started to climb the big gum.

As she neared the top she encountered a koala that attacked her.

In her haste to escape, the woman slid down the tree to the ground and got many splinters in her crotch.

In considerable pain, she hurried to a local ER to see a doctor. She told him she was an environmentalist, vegetarian, and an anti-hunter and how she came to get all the splinters.

The doctor listened to her story with great patience and then told her to go wait in the examining room and he would see if he could help her.

She sat and waited three hours before the doctor re-appeared. The angry woman demanded, "What took you so long?"

He smiled and then told her, "Well, I had to get permits from the Environmental Protection Agency, Native Vegetation, Parks and Wildlife service, and the Bureau of Land Management before I could remove old-growth timber from a 'recreational area' so close to a Waste Treatment Facility.

And I'm sorry, they turned you down."

op ??Bob Glover

Great stories. It's also worth getting a copy of Chasing Dreams (Tim Haslett), A History of Greyhound Racing in Victoria, which was being distributed by GRV. It covers all that ground and more.

GOING TO THE DOGS! LABOR AND TIN HARE RACING
Paul Tracey
In 1927 an invention was introduced into Sydney which encouraged a field of chasing greyhounds to race each other around a circuit. The entrepreneurs behind the tin hare, as the mechanical lure was known, obtained the green light from the Lang Labor Government for night time greyhound race meetings, which, because of its low cost structure and leisure hour suitability, attracted Sydneys working class patrons in their thousands. Within months, the tin hare had spread to another Sydney outlet as well as some country and industrial centres throughout NSW. Conservative and wowser do gooders were horrified at the opening up of this additioaal outlet for public gambling. This article deals with the first decade, or so, of the tin hare in NSW. It discusses the moral and political furores that it occasioned; the attempts that were made to criticise, curtail, cancel and control the sport; and its ultimate survival and success.

The sport of coursing, which involves a contest between two greyhounds pursuing a live hare, has been claimed as the fastest growing sport outside of horse racing and cricket in colonial Australia. The greyhounds chased their prey by sight rather than scent and were judged on a multitude of attributes including their intelligence, stamina, courage and speed. This sport, which survived as Australias last blood sport up to the 1970s, originally drew on the patronage, wagering and facilities of the wealthier classes before gaining limited popularity as a spectator and gambling sport when the practice of enclosing the courses was introduced towards the end of the 19th century. By 1906, coursing was so rampant, it became caught up in the general conservative and religious frenzy in NSW against public gambling. Along with racing and trotting, betting operations were restricted to licensed grounds and the number of competition days controlled by legislation. In 1927 an American invention known as the tin hare was introduced to Sydney and revolutionised greyhound contests into another form of racing ,which immediately attracted the working classes in huge numbers and opened up controversial opportunities for working class congregation and gaming.

The tin hare was a common term applied to a mechanical contraption that allowed a lure to be propelled around a circuit in front of a field of chasing greyhounds. Successfully used in the USA since about WW 1, the contraption was introduced to Australia in early 1927 by a somewhat shady character known as Judge Swindell. Swindell formed a proprietary company the Greyhound Coursing Association (GCA) to promote the new sport in Sydney. Other investors in the 50,000 venture included leading Sydney retailers Hugh Foy and Anthony Hordern. The GCA obtained a limited use lease of the Epping Park Racecourse (Harold Park) from the NSW Trotting Club (NSWTC) and commenced evening tin hare racing under lights on 28th May 1927. The new operation had been legalised by a simple amendment to the 1912 Gaming and Betting Act introduced by the Lang Government that redefined coursing as either chasing a live or mechanical hare.

In introducing the bill, the Colonial Secretary predicted that the move would be popular with animal welfare groups opposed to the cruelty that was associated with live hare lures. He promised that this change would give no further opportunities to expand betting activities since it could only take place at licensed coursing venues. Considering the lather of virtuous indignation and the predictions of the moral collapse of the State that were later levelled at tin hare racing, the opposition to the amendment at the time was quite restrained. The parliamentary conservatives criticised all gambling for its moral and economic harm. Their leader, T.R. Bavin, even suggested that any non Saturday racing was injurious to the national good because it promoted non attendance by workers at their occupations.

The tin hare racing at Epping Park turned out to be hugely popular and very successful as a commercial venture. Crowds of twenty or thirty thousand regularly attended the night meetings and spirited gambling took place, with over 180 bookmakers in attendance. The promoters were careful to imitate the atmosphere of Randwick race meetings, with attendants formally parading the greyhounds before races, the adoption of the terms paddock and ledger, the wearing of jockey caps and colours by trainers and with kennel inspections, coloured saddle cloths, semaphore boards and judges boxes.

Apart from the ability to bet at night, the working classes were attracted by much cheaper entrance fees and by the absence of the airs of superiority associated with upper class patrons of normal racecourses. Within a short time tin hare operations had extended to Newcastle, Cessnock and Lithgow and a second metropolitan licence had been granted for the Shepherds Bush (Mascot) course operated by the newly formed Australian Coursing Association (ACA), another private company but with a paid up capital of 100,000. This company was run by Stadium boss and boxing promoter, Jack Munro, who at one stage organised a hurdle race with trained monkeys in jockey colours riding the greyhounds as an added attraction. Swindell, with the patent rights in NSW, had a hand in the pie of all tin hare operations. Within the first eight months, the GCA had posted a profit of nearly 47,000 and its shares boomed in value. Companies were formed at Broken Hill, Goulburn, Bathurst, Mudgee, Tamworth, Maitland, Singleton and Dubbo. The ACA purchased Rosebery Park pony racecourse and even the use of the Sydney Sports Ground for mechanical hare racing was under active consideration.

The downside of these commercially successful ventures operating at Harold Park an~ Mascot was the growing criticism by Anglican clergy and other citizens who denounced the new sport as a pastime that bred parasites. Claims abounded that women and children were gambling and that working men were neglecting their families to finance their betting activities. Added to this was the threat to the AJC of declining attendance and their abhorrence of proprietary non thoroughbred racing generally. The AJC threatened to deregister their bookmakers if they also operated at the dog meetings. There was opposition by businessmen who felt that the dogs were interfering with their trade. Using the campaigning tactics of the temperance movement, communities organised public meetings on the subject where they decided whether to support or to oppose the introduction of tin hare racing into their towns. The Lang Government reasoned that the mounting hysteria was mainly an anti-working class attack and continued to issue licences right up to election eve. The Opposition certainly hyperbolised the tin hare plague. Only 12 licences were actually issued up to the defeat of the Lang Government, although nearly double that number were under consideration.

Tin hare racing was initially a sitting target for criticism. Its new gambling opportunities attracted all sorts of underhand tactics and shonky characters. Newspapers delighted in printing stories about greyhounds being kidnapped or about dopes and stimulants employed to win or to lose races. Ring-ins, interference with starting boxes or the tin hare itself or even parts of the dogs anatomy were brought to the publics notice. Bogus bookmakers simply mounted stands and took bets, whilst on other occasions, bookmakers lost so heavily they darted from the course, chased by punters or pleaded for time to pay debts. Such was the moral and professional furore with the tin hare that, in October 1927, the incoming Bavin conservative government refused to issue any more licences and amended the Gaming and Betting Act to make betting after sundown completely illegal.

This move, which for a long time also hampered the growth of the sport of trotting, was met by greyhound companies reorganising their meetings to purposely clash with other racing fixtures, but their inability to conduct at night eroded public support. When, in 1928, the Supreme Court ruled that mechanical hare racing was not coursing in terms of the legislation, all betting activity had to cease and the tin hare mechanisms were left to rust. Later in 1928, the courts ruled that as there was no provision for bookmakers at coursing meetings to pay taxation on their bets, any betting on greyhounds was illegal. However a blind eye was turned to Rooty Hill where rich mens coursing had continued in spite of mechanical hare greyhound racing taking off in other centres. At many other places, non-betting coursing continued to take place and the mechanical racing industry bided its time hoping for a change of government.

This came in 1930 with the return of Jack Lang and an actual or implied promise to legalise the tin hare. Although his Government was re-elected in October 1930, the move to legalise greyhound racing took about a year to activate. Instead of being handled by the Colonial Secretary, Mark Gosling, the move came via a Bill drafted in Jack Langs own Treasury Department, namely the Finance (Greyhound Racing and Taxation) Management Bill, 1931. As well as allowing the licensing and operation of two Sydney venues and one in any other town for either night or day time meetings as well as legalising gambling on greyhounds, the Opposition was thrown a sweetener with an offer to amend the Winning Bets Taxation Bill which would discount the amount of the original stake from the total winnings collected when assessment of the 10% tax was calculated.

Although the Opposition was enthusiastic about that part of the bill, criticism of mechanical hare racing ranged from its social evils right through to its passing faddishness (with comparisons to mini golf, which was apparently the current flavour of the month!). The sharpest criticism compared the Depression economy and the then unemployment to the encouragement the bill would give for gambling by those least able to afford it. With Lang commanding a majority in the Legislative Assembly, the bill went through in an all-night session, but struck trouble in the Upper House when the third reading was denied on October 1st 1931 after allegations of corruption favouring Swindell had been aired. Lang then had to wait until Governor Game had agreed to swamp the Upper House with an additional 25 Labor nominees in order to pass his other contentious legislation for his greyhound racing bill to be resubmitted and passed on 25th November. The Harold Park based GCA club was duly re-licensed and recommenced operations in December just in the nick of time to save its shareholders ITom severe financial losses. With the Governments failure to decide a second Sydney licence, the GCA held a virtual monopoly on Sydney greyhound racing. In February 1932, the Colonial Secretary issued the second mechanical licence to a newly formed (but Swindell controlled) Greyhound Racing Club to operate at Kensington Race Course. Randwick Council, under the mayoralty of the UAP candidate for the area, Arthur Moverley, made a formal protest to the Colonial Secretary declaring that move would depreciate property values while the riff-raff associated with tin hare racing were not wanted in the municipality. But it was the ACA at Mascot who were most put out when it was clear that the 1927/28 arrangements were not being automatically renewed and that they faced liquidation. The survival of Harold Park certainly made it appear as though Swindell had friends in high places, prompting the opponents of greyhound racing to call for a Royal Commission into the alleged corruption of the licensing system.

The institution of this Royal Commission became one of the first acts of the new Stevens Government, which was elected after Langs dismissal by Governor Game in May 1,932. A notoriously anti-Labor judge, Halse Rogers was commissioned to inquire into the issue of Greyhound Licences and also the installation of poker machines in hospitals which had also occurred under the Lang Government. His report about greyhound racing whitewashed the politicians of any proven corruption but viewed with suspicion the fact that the Labor Colonial Secretary consulted widely with Swindell before recommending any licence issue to Cabinet. The clear inference was that Swindell was arranging his own enrichment as well as possible, even if unproven, donations to Labor Party ministers and/or departmental staff before agreeing to issue licences. Halse Rogers found that a character known as Redmond Barry (the same name as the Judge that ordered the execution of Ned Kelly!) had arranged for both the ACA and the GCA to offer large bribes in the form of blank share scripts as inducement for the legislation legalising greyhound racing to proceed. He also found that the Mascot licence had been unlawfully and deliberately stalled on account of the association of that company with Major Eric Campbell who was not only notorious as the main organiser of the New Guard but as a particularly vigorous Lang and State Labor opponent as well. Halse Rogers questioned large sums of money provided by the Foys and the Horderns to facilitate the recommencement of greyhound racing and the obvious upward movement of the share prices of both the GCA and the ACA based on the rumours that they were to be re-licensed. But his findings failed to pinpoint the culprits and no charges were ever laid arising from the Royal Commission. However, the report gave the Government the opportunity to clamp down on the excesses of the Lang days in a number of ways.

The Royal Commission was extremely critical of the role of proprietary companies in mechanical hare racing and the Stevens Government responded by announcing that such current licences would not be renewed once they expired. A counter move by the Swindell forces was for a Control Board to be formed to control mechanical hare racing (similar to the role the AJC had over horse racing) but this was seen by the National Coursing Association (NCA) as unwarranted interference in NCA activities. A Cabinet announcement that night betting would again be abolished was met by industry claims that tin hare racing was essentially night time sport and warned that restrictions would reduce attendances, employment and revenues for Government and again force clashes with race meetings. The Government must have rethought its position before eventually dropping the matter under the pretence of the priority of other business. Considering the moral fervour raised against the tin hare when in opposition, the Stevens governments failure to curtail greyhound betting came as a welcome surprise to the industry .

The Government announced its own Tin Hare policy by press release on 4th April 1933. From 1 May, only a single metropolitan licence would be issued and this would go to a non-proprietary organisation. Proprietary racing could continue in country towns for the time being, although no licence would be granted to any interests or persons adversely mentioned in the Royal Commission. While this pleased the NCA, which had hopes pf getting the metropolitan licence, it concerned the existing companies whose shareholders faced huge losses. It was pointed out that proprietary horse and trotting racing clubs operating in Sydney were untouched and that the Royal Commission had not criticised the two licence arrangements currently applied to Sydney dog racing in any way.

Despite the NCA expectations, it was the NSWTC, which had already changed its Articles of Association to include dog racing, and had the superior position of its own racecourse at Harold Park, that obtained the sole non-proprietary metropolitan licence. It commenced greyhound racing operations in November 1933. Pleased with the financial success of the venture, the NSWTC built a separate greyhound track on the inside of the trotting track where the dog racing had taken place previously. The tin hare was obviously a useful adjunct to the trotting operations especially since they could not conduct night trotting meetings under the current legislation. But the NSWTC entry into the greyhound racing industry and the attempts to issue their own greyhound racing rules .caused tensions with the NCA. Most country coursing clubs resisted the NSWTC rules and pledged loyalty to the NCA.

A compromise was belatedly reached whereby the NSWTC would control greyhound (mechanical) racing, and the NCA would control coursing activities. Additionally the NCA would retain authority over racing membership and registration of greyhounds; and over sires and litters and approvals for naming. The NSWTC would licence mechanical hare trainers and retain the right to refuse such licences. However this arrangement broke down hopelessly when the NCA imposed its own Greyhound Racing Control Board and 30 country clubs withdrew their affiliations with the NSWTC. The Trotting Club responded by imposing automatic disqualifications on greyhounds racing at unaffiliated centres, which stopped those owners and trainers progressing to Harold Park racing with its classics and higher prize money. The NSWTC also called off the arrangement where greyhounds and their connections had to be NCA members before competing at Harold Park leading to NSWTC affiliates being blackballed by NCA ones. Throughout this crisis of control, the Stevens government sat of the fence, pointing out that the governments only role was to ensure racing was conducted along nonprofit making lines and in compliance with the operating licence issued.

The dispute still raged in 1937. The NSWTC lifted the ante by offering a minimum of 50 prize money for all its greyhound racing and by programming 12 races each meeting at 15 minutes intervals. By October the larger clubs (which were those closer to Sydney) at Newcastle, Wollongong, Dapto and Maitland were urging the NCA to end the impasse with the NSWTC. The Governments decision to grant a second metropolitan licence gave renewed hope that the NCA might be involved in city mechanical hare racing, even though bodies associated with the RSL were also applicants. The popularity of dog racing had not abated and reports of congestion at Harold Park helped the government decide that; one metropolitan greyhound centre was insufficient. In fact the popularity of the greyhounds was also confirmed by worried local government authorities. Complaints about kennels being constructed without approval; of greyhounds being exercised in public parks and the annoyance and noise created by backyard operations led to actual bans in some public areas and the muzzling of greyhounds both in public and during races.

The long overdue second metropolitan licence eventuated in 1939 when the government duly licensed the NCA and leased the crown owned Wentworth Park for racing operations. The NSWTC, now subject to a select committee inquiry into its own conduct and administration of trotting, was close to its goal of having night trotting legalised. It accepted that control of mechanical hare racing would pass to the NCA and it started to disengage itself from the greyhounds following the establishment of the non-proprietary Greyhound Breeders Owners and Trainers Association in 1939. As it turned out, Wentworth Park was commandeered for Army use during the war and the NCA conducted its meetings at Harold Park. On resumption at Wentworth Park, the NCA converted its outside rail lure to an inside one. With both clubs racing under the same rules and meetings never clashing, the only differences in operations were the shape of their tracks and the distances being run. Greyhounds freely competed at both courses or on any the 45 country courses that had been licensed by 1939.

While the tin hare proved to be immediately successful with Sydneys working classes, it was in country NSW that it really boomed. Before the advent of the off-course TAB, in rural centres, with their at best spasmodic horse racing meetings, the Saturday afternoon tin hare meetings, often utilising the facilities of the town show or sports ground, provided the only regular legal opportunity for race wagering. While the ponies, that had once held the loyalty of the working classes, did not survive the war, the tin hare became a firm part of Australian betting culture. Fifty years after the war, greyhound racing behind the mechanical lure still operated largely on the pre-war model and still attracted largely working class support.

Mechanical hare racings long association with the working classes was cemented in a number of ways. Firstly, the 1920s and post depression criticisms by wowser middle class elements ensured a lower class solidarity for the tin hares survival similar to the fight that had been mounted against Temperance hysteria. Secondly, the lower admission charges to greyhound racetracks and the ability to bet in shillings and sixpences favoured lower income participation as did the staging of night meetings which especially accommodated workers during their leisure hours. Thirdly, there was the affinity caused by the fact that thousands of working people and families could readily take part in the ownership, rearing, training and racing of their own greyhounds for fractions of the costs associated with race horse ownership. Finally, and most importantly perhaps, was the political positioning of Jack Lang and the ALP in the cause. Langs hammering of the theme that the workers greyhound racing was being attacked while the rich continued to enjoy their racing without state or moralist interference fitted neatly with the reality of depression age politics when workers bore the brunt of economic conditions and social criticism. Ironically, the eventual failure of the conservatives to wipe out the sport of mechanical hare racing was perhaps the one depression outcome that workers could claim as their own victory.

Tim Haslett's Blog.Posted on July 23, 2016 note the date Bruce ...
Trying to stick the BOOTS IN at a time when we should of been hearing positive stories about our Industry this CLOWN prints for what purpose to help bolster the AA and Anti greyhound message ... plain and simple blind freddy could see that Bruce ...

Quote by Timmy
Until relatively recently, racing dogs would normally be blooded, that is trained to race with live bait, as a matter of course. Everybody did it, it was the accepted practice......

He is a Lying piece of dog sh1t
He is a FLOG ....Bruce .....A dick head ...FACT ...He speaks sh1t to his followers
He is a Nobody and he always will be a Nobody ....I never heard of this goose untill you suggested his Name Bruce

EXTERNAL LINK
PS
I will purchase his book just so i can rip it apart copy paste what i like to Social Media and then burn it then p1ss on it ....This man is not PRO racing .......

"Birds of a feather flock together".......Kev!

History, mate, just history. That's what the book is about. If you don't know your history, how can you get better? Certainly not by avoiding the truth.

Bob,

I have no great admiration for the Nats but it's as well to note that Grant was removed from his leadership position by his colleagues and then quit Parliament. Secondly, some Nats previously objected to Grant's position and crossed the floor to vote in favour of greyhound racing - at some cost to their own careers.

And, while I don't absolve Grant, by far the biggest influence was Baird with his illogical, biased and incorrect accusations, albeit with a basis of truth in the industry's misdemeanours. It was Baird who cooked up the so-called Reform Panel, staffed by his own public servants and a so-called industry representative who has since deserted the state for a more relaxed bureaucratic life.

Yes, we are paying a price. All due to two factors; abuses and a failure to present a better story to the public. So fix both.

Meantime, SFF, Labor and ON are going to be no more than nuisance value for the next four years. They will not change your life very much at all, but hopefully will help get a better story out to the public.

And the Feds will have no influence at all on greyhounds, which are a state matter (some betting rules excepted).

I did write that Foley was unconvincing, that SFF was a good influence but not a decisive one, and that we should not forget that Lib/Nats were a shade of odds in favour, so don't turn them off. All correct.

Take a good look at GD Facebook and you will see years of History Photo's Articles and guess what Bruce i found i sourced and i copied and pasted all of it for the past 5 years ...and i have never heard of Little Timmy Haslet before you mentioned his name but don't worry i will copy and paste what i can from his book to the Facebook pages

The response I got at the time was:

"Im writing in response to your contact with us about the proposed ban on greyhound racing in NSW. First of all, Im sorry for the frustration, anger and sadness which Mike Bairds announcement has caused you and many others. Many people have been getting in touch with our office either via the website or calling directly, particularly supporters and members of The Nationals who are upset by the move.

I have been collecting and responding to all the complaints weve received for a report which my boss, the State Director of the NSW Nationals, is going to present to Troy Grant and the rest of the Parliamentary leaders when they are back in Sydney for Parliament.

In the meantime, the legislation to ban greyhound racing still has to be passed by the Parliament it is not official law yet. There is a strong group of National Party MPs speaking out against the ban and leading the opposition to the legislation."

Part of politics in general in this country - too many Yes men.

Fortunately we have a strong shadow Racing Minister (Nationals) in Victoria who is firmly behind the industry.

Re "History tells us a lot about our future ....This dude Timmy writes a book about the Greyhound history sells no copies so then he feels free 4 years later to attack Greyhound racing when it was at its lowest ..."

1. Shooting the messenger is not a helpful process. I bought and read the book and could see no obvious problems. I still refer to it occasionally. Maybe I was conned but I doubt it. It also has the GRV imprimatur for what that is worth.

2. If you don't like people writing about live baiting etc, then don't do it. Or tell your mates not to do it.

3. The antidote to live baiting is to take the story of the greyhound out to the general public and demonstrate how great the sport really is.

4. As part of (3) above I would recommend that all states sponsor a similar book. I don't care who writes it so long as it is checked and accurate.

5. Facebook and its siblings are a menace to society in as much as they contain mostly unverified statements, dreams, abuse and gobbledigook. They also pirate copyrighted articles and are under the gun from many world governments. I would not touch them with a barge pole. Wikipaedia is only marginally better (entries have been corrupted by anti-greyhound people).

6. I am not sure what "GD Facebook" means. As for the normal GD reference material, I imagine the breeding data is quite good but other stuff is not - eg race performances are way off base and incomplete (as I long ago informed Tony).

7. How do you know he sold "no copies"? I have written a 65,000 word e-book and sold 30 copies plus some rights to a guy who published a serialised version. Did you know that? Does that make it good or bad?

8. When you rubbish Haslett, you are also rubbishing the special mentions of Ned Wallish, Bill Pearson, Neil Brown, Peter Quilty and Denis Huxley (Herald Sun) as well as some 169 other contributors, to say nothing of the 36 Hall of Fame members listed and the Minister for Racing who provided the Foreword.

9. Your copying and pasting effort may well contravene copyright regulations if you are not careful. It could cost you.

Timmy Haslet was the one who posted his diatribe to his Blog so dont now tell me all is forgiven because it was supported by the GRV ...Stiff shit the facts are the facts he said what he said ..
.Quote by Timmy Posted on July 23, 2016
Until relatively recently, racing dogs would normally be blooded, that is trained to race with live bait, as a matter of course. Everybody did it, it was the accepted practice......
Bruce
I am not going to roll a turd in choc and nuts and call it a Mars Bar for the sake of blowing smoke up someones ass .

.
Bruce
How dare you say this shit to me you little grub
Quote Bruce
If you don't like people writing about live baiting etc, then don't do it. Or tell your mates not to do it.
What can i say you are a dick Bruce.

Bruce Quote
When you rubbish Haslett, you are also rubbishing the special mentions of Ned Wallish, Bill Pearson, Neil Brown, Peter Quilty and Denis Huxley (Herald Sun) as well as some 169 other contributors, to say nothing of the 36 Hall of Fame members listed and the Minister for Racing who provided the Foreword.

BRUCE
Do you think i care about Timmy and his diatribe ..
I have not bagged the other guys and you are the one bringing up those names Bruce .
who cares about the Racing Minister he has done a shit job as well ..I dont blow smoke up politicians asses like you and the boys do Bruce.

Maybe ask these guys one thing Bruce if you and your publisher mates new that LIVE baiting was taking place why didn't anyone of those people you mention TELL THE PTB that this was taking place but all of those people you mention Bruce said JACK SHIT so who is to blame i would say your MATES who after the fact they come out and tell porky pies to further boost there small little ego's

No one gives a shit about people who don't support greyhound racing 100% and i choose to bag Timmy Haslet because of what he has written on his own blog about our industry ..and its participants in 2016 ..

Bruce Quote
Your copying and pasting effort may well contravene copyright regulations if you are not careful. It could cost you.

Hahahaah Bruce go for it and this is 2019 not 1950 ....Social Media is the News of Today...throw away your pen and paper bruce and embrace the fact that a fool like me can write all the diatribe i want to without any restraints

If any picture or article is over 50 years old then its public domain .

If i copy cut paste for post to facebook then i am guilty as charged but when my source is Google Pictures google facts then you have no hope in fighting a winless battle in courts over copyright laws in social media Bruce you live in the past Man ..

Take a look at the link i sent you to GD facebook Bruce read it and weep ....Yep every post done by me Bruce copy pasted from all sources all over the world .......No such thing as copyright Bruce ...You will lose your money if you take me to court ...lol Cheers big ears have a great night Bruce

PS
Bruce if Haslet Knew about Live baiting being systematic then why didn't he speak up before 2016 why did he remain silent if he new live baiting was taking place for years before ....
there is no proof saying ALL TRAINERS LIVE BAITED ....
Show me this proof Bruce because you seem to think it was also systematic in our Industry and you had the POWER to stop it years ago .......You sat there saying nothing ...
You yourself had the power of the press back then so why didn't you open your mouth...
.Why did you all let us down bruce
i blame you older Publishers for not stepping up years ago ...Bruce.

I can see it is impossible to discuss anything with you so I will leave all the wild and inaccurate stuff for others to assess.

As to why more people did not speak up - to take action about a disgusting and illegal event you need to have proof as otherwise you yourself would be under the gun, especially if you are an author or publisher. It falls under the headings of the law or ethics which seem not to bother you much. (But it did bother AA and others who got thrown out of court due to their illegal entries).

But, yes, my imperfect experience over the decades does suggest that live baiting was systematic amongst many trainer groups - based on many casual conversations, newspaper reports of criminal action and evidence before official inquiries. Hopefully, these people were in the minority but we have no way of knowing, do we?

PS You invite me to read your Facebook posts - ie you ignore my advice that I do not indulge in social media where fake news tends to dominate. Most Facebook stuff is available only to members - I am not one. Anyway, as you say about Facebook, "a fool like me can write all the diatribe i want to without any restraints". Exactly. I rest my case.

In order for you to insult me Bruce..I would first have to value your opinion ..
Bruce you and Timmy both say you knew that live baiting was Systematic in our Industry ..Am i correct in that assumption Bruce ..

If this was the case why did you and Timmy and your Publishing Mates stay SILENT ...

You say Ethics stopped you Bruce . Thats BULLSH1T and a cop out ..

Bruce Almighty your time has passed no one wants to hear your diatribe any more ......Bye

248 pages of development and club stories with many pictures - well worthwhile.

Time and time again Bruce rams home in almost every post how stupid we are as punters
Our Mates LIVE BAIT STILL Today ..

Bruce never misses a opportunity to say we all live baited ...

I will keep jumping all over his posts Bob
Bruce needs to be stopped in his deliberate attempt to further derail and unstabilise our Greyhound Industry ...

We have all read Bruce's posts and we can all see what he is doing and this is 100% deliberate by Bruce ....

Bruce posts to GD only to create debate and conjecture in every word every sentence he deliberately throws one in the guts for his Anti friends to bemuse over ...

I Repeat to Bruce .

Why didn't you or any of your journalist Buddies Bruce stand up and tell the PTB what was going on regarding LIVE BAITING well before the AA undercover crap had taken place because you sure have a lot of explaining to do regarding your accusations TOWARDS TRAINERS TODAY AND PAST ..........If you knew it was taken place then why didnt you speak up years ago Bruce

Name names Bruce if you are so confident with your accusations
....You are a betting man Bruce so i bet you 100 to 1 that you will remain silent and not name one name

Bob, do you mind reading my 17 May post a bit more carefully.

In any case, there is no such obligation for me - it applies to registered trainers about their dogs. Members of the public may be morally obligated but not legally. Apart from that point, the naming you are after was undertaken by three official inquiries as well as later investigations and court actions. And some of those concerned evidence taken in camera so you may not have names anyway.
Additionally, one particular claim put to McHugh was no more than a wild guess - gossip - but McHugh repeated it.

Well Graeme - just a wild guess - but Duncan Stearn (who studies this sort of thing) records that in 1933/38 dogs raced over 600 yds and 800 yds at Harold Park. Even before that, if you go to Haslett's Chasing Dreams you will find references to open coursing in the 1920s over 800 yds. No doubt others will have sources, too.

For the most part, we lack decent info like this because hardly anyone has bothered to record the sport's history very well. Haslett is the exception.

(There could be more in the Newcastle Herald of 1927 but I might have trouble locating it at the moment - it's only on microfiche at the local library. Four Hunter tracks were operating in December of that year).