Eight Lottery Winners

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30976, 4 February 1966, Page 14

Eight Lottery Winners

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, Feb. 3. When Mr F. D. Slater, a 39-year-old Auckland contractor, w r as called to the telephone while at work this morning, some of his work-mates jokingly remarked: “That’s someone ringing to say our ticket has won first prize in the Mammoth lottery.”

Catling him was his wife with the news that the ••Top Hat Syndicate—"the nom-de-plume he used when he bought the ticket—had woo first prize lot ’

was some doubt in my mmd,” Mddlfr Staters

'Hospital, where his contracting firm is engaged, this afternoon. “The nom-de-plume announced on the radio, "Top Hat Syndicate,’ did not correspond with the one I used —“Top Hut Syndicate.’ A check of the numbers, however. confirmed that our syndicate of eight had won.” Mr Slater said that “Top Hut” was chosen as the non-de-plume because the firm’s headquarters on the construction site of the acute block at Auckland Hospital was the “top hut” on the building. “I did not believe Mr Slater at first,” said a partner in the steel-placing firm, Mr K. , van Geioof, a Dutchman. “It , took a while to sink in.” ' Aged 32, Mr Geioof came to New Zealand from Holland four years ago. He plans to i put his‘£7soo share of the 1 first prize to finance a trip home. ( The third partner in the i firm, Mr Archille Salvador, i

■ an Italian, thinks he might make a trip home also.

Aged 32 and married with

three boys, Mr Salvador has been in New Zealand for nine years. “On e thing, though,” he said. “If I do make a trip home I’ll certainly be coming back to New Zealand.” Mr J. Thompson, a 27-year-old Maori, who has been on compensation for two weeks with an injured hip, was up at the construction site to collect his pay in the afternoon when a workmate congratulated him. “Well,” he said, after being told of his win, “I can take another two weeks’ ‘compo.’ ” The other four members of the syndicate, a Scotsman and three Maoris, declined to give their names or have their photographs taken. The win had no effect on their work today and all continued with their normal jobs. Apart from Messrs Van Geioof and Salvador, none had any definite idea on what they would do with the money.