OPIUM DENS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 July 1932, Page 6

OPIUM DENS

SUBSTANTIAL FINES,

COUNSEL’S SUGGESTION/

(Per Press Association — Copyright.)

AUCKLAND, July 11

Following a police raid oh -Saturday night on an opium den in Grey’s Avenue, 13 Chinese appeared at the Police Court f-fes- morning, and fines totalling £3OO were- imposed on them. A. L. Hing, occupier of the premises whose fourth offence it was, was fined £l5O or three months’, and twelve others were fined £l2 10s each.

The police said thirty packets of prepared opium were found in the house which wa-s in a- filthy condition. It was within one hundred yards of the Town; Hall and was one of the largest opium dens in Nfcw Zealand. . The police in the raid, could obtain an entry ordv by dropping through a skylight and, chopping a hole in a .ceiling.,

Counsel for the''defence 1 said that the dirty -state of the premises was the outcome of repressive hgislaton, and suggested it was time the example of some British colonies was followed and that opium smoking was licensed under proper supervision. , Tlie Magistrate said it was of no us© Criticising the law. It was not for the Court to say anything about it. -..Probably it wa-s quite time that opium smoking could .not be repressed, but the same thing could be said of other offences.