THE NATIONAL RELIGION.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 12, 15 January 1926, Page 6

THE NATIONAL RELIGION.

RACECOURSES—OUR SHRINES. KEEPING THEM CLEAN. USTDESIEABLES FINED. "Horse racing is our national religion, and racecourses are our national shrines, so that we must keep them as free ac possible from bad characters," said Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., dryly, in the Police Court to-day. He made the observation in replying to Mr. R. A. Singer, who had made a plea for leniency on behalf of Archie Dowell, charged with trespassing on a racecourse, he being a convicted person. Mr. Singer had stated that Dowell, a man of 22, had been on the course "only very momentarily," since he had a restless horse outside. "It is one of the anomalies of our Legislature that a man is fined fl for stealing £10, and flO for going on a racecourse," said Mr. Singer. "And for breaking a church window he may get six months for sacrilege," retorted the magistrate. "I 3iippose none of this money taken in fines goes to tho Racing Conference," chuckled Mr. Singer. '"Our very good Government gets all that!" interjected Chief Detective Cummings. The pleasantries over, Dowell was fined £10 on one charge and convicted and discharged on a second. Wanted Half-Crowns. "This man has a terribly bad criminal history. He goes to the racecourse and hangs about the totalisator pay-out windows, demanding shillings and halfcrowns." That was Chief Detective Cummings' description of Claud Martin, a man excluded by the regulations, who had been found on a racecourse by Detective Moon. He was fined £20, in default ons month. AVilliam John Marriott, another man with convictions, was fined £20 for being on Ellerslie racecourse. Harold R. Kerr, who had been convicted before, was also fined £20 for going to Alexandra Park. Wanted to Collect a Dividend. On behalf of Ernest Edward McDowell Mr. Sullivan pleaded that his client went to the racecourse to collect a dividend from a friend to whom he had handed 6/ to put on a horse. He did not go out till after 3 p.m., and on the following day he was there for the same purpose, for a very short time. It was true, of course, that he had been fined previously for trespassing. Chief Detective Cummings produced a list of convictions going back.to 1911. A fine of £20 was imposed, the default being fixed at one month. William Wilson, described by Mr. Denniston as an old jockey, was fined £5 for trespassing. Chief Defective Cummings said the man had served a month for breach of probation, and being of the vagrant type should not be given more than a fortnight in which to pay. Frederick Waterstrand, who trespassed on Takapuna racecourse, was fined £5, with costs 11/. Thomas McNamara was fined £2. A Visiting Pickpocket. Described by the chief detective as a professional pickpocket from Australia. Phillip Emsworth Smith (29) was charged with being unlawfully on Takapuna racecourse. Mr. Cummings referred to several cases in which Smith had figured in Australia, receiving from one to six months for picking pockets. He had also been convicted for breaking and entering and for vagrancy. Smith, who was a prohibited immigrant, had never been convicted in New Zealand. Mr. Poynton: I don't know whether a theft in Australia excludes him from racecourses in New Zealand. Chief Detective Cummings: It does, sir. Apart from that, he is restricted from going on to racecourses by reason of the Aliens Restriction Act. Smith was remanded for sentence till January 22.