BOOKMAKER FINED.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18406, 12 June 1925, Page 8

BOOKMAKER FINED.

MAGISTRATE'S STRONG >" 'COMMENT. (PfIBSS ASSrciAliolr TBLBOSAH.) HAWERA, June 11. In the Magistrate's Court, David Arthur Anderson pleaded guilty to a charge of bookmaking. Mr O'Dea, for defendant, said ninety-nine of one hundred jurios would not convict for bookmaking. The cotar nrtmity did not think it wrong. Bookmaking was allowed in some Australian States. Ho asked' if that wore worse than the present hole and corner business in New Zealand.

Tho Magistrate (Mr Barton) said that only a few years ago bookmaking ha 4 been prohibited in this country and the totaHsator brought into use to satisfy the public desire. Bookmakers continued to work against the law. The Magistrate strongly condemned the operations of bookmakers, declaring that they brought into being bribery and vice. Even a Public Service that should be clean was debauched and made dirty by bookmakers who broke the law and found means of escaping punishment. The position, he considered, would continue to get so bad that in the end the legislators would have to make a clean-up. He agreed that defendant could have gone to the Supreme Court, but would have gone not with the knowledge that the police had not "plfoved their case but hoping the jury would be false to their oaths and no't convict. /.A fine of £IOO was imposed. The Magistrate asked that the circumstances be reported to the Liconsing Committee.