Bookmakers’ Clients to Pay £155 in Fines

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 889, 5 February 1930, Page 1

Bookmakers’ Clients to Pay £155 in Fines

FIRST CASES OF KIND MAGISTRATE ON BETTING From Our Ovfn Correspondent HAMILTON, Today. Described by counsel as the first cases of the kind in Auckland Province since the law came into force 10 years ago, 15 charges of betting with bookmakers resulted in fines totalling £155 being imposed in the Magistrate's Court this morning. The charges arose out of the recent police raid on the shop of Harry Abraham Samuels, tailor, Hamilton, who was lined £3OO for bookmaking. As a result of the betting material found, the, police were able to trace the defendants, most of whom appeared. The following were each fined £lO. and costs: Murdoch Robertson. Waihou; John Robertson, Waihou; Walter Tom Bowditch, Te Aroha; Richard Edward James, Waihou; William Boys, Te Awamutu; Robert Garrick, Te Awa- ; mutu: John. Teddy, juu.. Ohaup«; ! Charles Anion, Motumaoho; John Farrant. .Motumaoho; Edward John : Karl, Taupiri; Robert Casey, Waha- ; roa; Horace Edward Salter, Wahai roa; Edmund O'Neill, Arapuni; Percy Selby, Tamahere; Donald Valentine | Mayor, Frankton. The following were convicted and ordered to pay costs on one other charge: Boys, Amon, Salter, and O’Neill. Owing to certain circumstances, John Farrant, Motumaoho, was fined £5 and costs. Mr. A. L. Tompkins, on behalf of Bowditch, said the prosecutions were the first in Auckland province, and probably the only ones in the Dominion. with the exception of those in Christchurch about two years ago. In view of the heavy penalties against bookmakers, counsel believed most people who betted were unaware that they were liable to heavy fines. Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., said he could not treat the cases as a novelty. The warning issued was already 10 years old. The magistrate added that he had fixed the penalty because of the enormous amount of racing in the Dominion. If bookmaking was to be permitted and tolerated, it was possible for every man to waste time and money by betting on races every day of the week. It was a great economic loss to the country, which prosecutions of this nature were intended to stop, he added. .