MARDI GRAS SEOREYARES FINED

Otaki Mail, 19 May 1922, Page 2

MARDI GRAS SEOREYARES FINED

L'NAI THORIsIiD IiAMLL I'lilZl.-. Two unusual cases, so tar as Levin U concerned, were heard at the Magistrate's Court mi Wednesday by Mr J. L. stout., S.M., when W. it. Wise, oJ Levin, was charged, on tin. iufoiniatton ol the police, with on April ;>?, l$2Z, he did dispose ol property, to wit, one dinner set, one uo.sliime, one bicycle, and i'-'i in money by a, game of chance, wherebj such properly was disposed ol by lottery, contrary to the form ri! the statute in such < ase made and provided. The second information was against IS. A. Sloan, who was also charged with, on tlto same daiee, disposing ol property, namely, two gold watches and one suite of furniture by a game ol cliauce Constable Hague prosecuted on l.eI hall ol the police, and Mr K. Lv. Adams appeared lor Hie dulendauis, who pic',idea giiidy. The police siated that a Matut eras was hold m Levin during .Match and April, and Hie two uetendanis vud'e the secretaries oi different Uueua Committees. The Committees applied to tihe 1 hderj-siecretary ol Internal Allans ami obtained permission it raffle certain articles, nut oihei articles, as mentioned in the imoi nation, were added 10 thy prize-. 1 inappeared to be a case, of, ignorance so fai as the defendants were concerned, but their action was coulrarj to ike provisions ol the Gaming Act. lit read the advertisement seeing out ihe result ol the drawing ol prizes, in which the additional articles mentioned in the inlormatiou were included.

■lt is not sugges'.ed," said Constable Bagrie, "that this wa? done in an attempi \i make money. lioth deiendants aie respectable lesidents, and they gave their services to assist a local cause, 'the offence with which they were charged, however, i= viewed seriously, as a line up to £PJU is provided for each breach." Mr Adams, lor defendants, staled that the police had been verj lair indeed in the matter, lins case, Counsel contended, bad resulted through pure ignorance, and because they had not ga<.eu the matter considera.um. Both considered ihey were acting within die letter oi Hie law by the inclusion oi ihe words on the art anion I tickets "hy permission oi the MmisI ter oi Internal Affairs." Certain genj tlemen iiad jna-ie gilts oi articles to I :iie Maidi Cra.s Coromiitees, and. these j were given to ihe winners in addition to tile works 01 art. They were not i aware that was a breach ol the Oam- ! ing Act. When their attention v,au= ! drawn to-the matter there was no attempt to evade anything. The. Carni-

val was got up to raise lunds- v> beautify trie town. There was no iiuesti'on of gain by the defendants, but on the other hand they gave a great deal -if -'nc-ir time for the benefit of the undertaking. The- acuon with which defendants were charged was cton* without consideration, and counsel asked that the ?ln*s c-e rtaa« as light as possible. In giving his decision, ihe Mag is. irate said he was satisfied *nj a:' 1 : were committed througfi ignorance, but h showed that peopie must be careiul. Defendants would be convicted and fined JO; each, with -osts 7 .