A CHOCOLATE TOTALISATOR

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 54, 26 November 1921, Page 7

A CHOCOLATE TOTALISATOR

ESTABLISHING A LOTTERY.

Samuel Hopper and Herbert T hornton, confectioners, were charged before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday with establishing a lottery, Mr. H. Buddle appeared for Thornl°Chief Detective Kemp said that the defendants had penny-m-the-slot macbines in their respective shops. In the machine in Thornton’s there were 40 blocks, and by putting a penny in the slot one of these blocks could be obtained, and on presentation at the counter the holder received a pennyworth, of lollies. No. 7 block was worth a. good deal more than a penny, and some of th® other blocks yielded 2d. worth of sweets. It was entirely a matter of chance what one obtained. Sergeant Martin, who gave evidence, said he put three pennies info the slot, and got two blocks numbered 1 ana block 9. , . . Mr. Buddle said that the machine m Thornton’s shop had been in operation for 20 rears, and he did not tbin)c any harm was done. It was an advertising > scheme, -and surely Thornton bad a righ . io rive anv customer more than the customer had agreed to pay for. Supposing Thornton announced that eveiy fifth! customer who came into his shop Yvould get a rebate of 50 per cent, oft bis purchase, there would nothing wrongin that. It was the same with th® machine. It was admitted that: everyone got a penny’s worth. The Magistrate: A chocolate totahsa-

tO A lawyer: But everyone gets a divid<After some further remarks tlfe Magistrate held that there was the element of chance, but it was a tr.ftmg affair. Both defendants were convicted and fined 10s. each. _____