BOOKMAKER’S SENTENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 June 1921, Page 8

BOOKMAKER’S SENTENCE.

PETITION FOR REMISSION.. B> Telegraph.—Press . Association. Christ church, May 31. A deputation presented a petition to the. Acting-Premier and Minister of Justice, praying for the remission of the sentence imposed on William Whitta, who was convicted in the Supreme Court of bookmaking. The petition, which was signed by 10,000 persons, urges his release on the ground that Whitta is a respected citizen, that this is the first case of conviction -by a jury under the new law, and that Whitta’s health will be endangered by imprisonment. Sir Francis Bell said that interference with the sentence of a Judge of the Supreme Court should not be entered upon except for very grave reasons. It was not the view of Parliament that there should be an ambulatory form of totalisator in the form of the bookmaker, and the Government was bound by the law, just as much as the bookmaker. Provision was made for dealing with the case of any man whose health was injured by imprisonment, and he knew of no reason why this'ease should be dealt with differently. The Hon. I>L P. Lee said he would consider the case; Ho said it seemed extraordinary that the newness of the law should be advanced as a ground for the remission of the sentence, when full publicity had been given to the instructions issued to the police to prosecute all persons, whether bookmakers or those betting with bookmaxers.