A GUESSING COMPETITION.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 232, 9 October 1901, Page 2

A GUESSING COMPETITION.

CHARGE AGAINST A GROCER. THE CASE DISMISSED. (Special to Timks.l Auckland, last night. A grocer named Swann, of Dovonport and formerly of the East Coast and Gisborne, was charged at the Police Court that he did establish a scheme by which prizes were competed for by a certain mode of chance. Defendant pleaded not guilty. Constable Williams deposed that defendant carried on a grocery business at Devonport. On the day in question a large candle was placed on a pedestal in the window of the defendant’s shop, and next to the candle was a small placard bearing the words “ free guessing competition,” and further tendering persons an invitation to guess the correct time that tho candle would take to burn away, offering prizes to three most successful competitors.

Swann’s counsel said that from the evidence for the prosecution no case had been proved, and that the case did not come within section 18 of the Act, under which the charge was laid. Defendant said that the competition was a perfectly legitimate one, and one which would not bring him any profit. The competition was not got up as an advertisement for his general business ; lie had simply obtained a quantity of tea from a local warehouse, and was giving it away in the manner already explained. The Bench said that the question involved was whether the competition was one in which the prizes were won by chance or not. It seemed perfectly clear that the winner of the first prize had exercised no judgment in making her guess, but the evidence did not substantiate that chance was the predominate feature of the competition. The nearest similitude was the weight-guessing competition generally given at agricultural shows, and the legality of these had not been questioned. The case was dismissed.