SURPRISE PACKETS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 159, 7 July 1926, Page 12

SURPRISE PACKETS.

TWO MEN FINED. PROCEFDS FOR CHARITY. Two charges of sellins surprise packets were heard in the Police t'nurt yesterday afternoon, against Hedky Vicars Macky Arlow, and two against 'Idward John Arlow, of disposing of personal property by selling surprise packets. Mr. R. MoVeagh appeared for both defendants and said that the scheme was devised for the purpose of the whole of the proceeds being given to orphans. In the first instance, the Jnder-Secretary of Internal Affairs was, communicated with, and he leplied, advising that the Minister did not have authority to give permission for a scheme to bi put into force, and advising the Arlows to consult the police. When approached, said Mr. McVeagh, the police were non-com-mittal and it was decided to proceed with the scheme. Before this was done, the Rev. Jaspe; Calder was asked whether he would undertake the distribution of the profits \o charity and he agreed. These circumstances were put forward in mitigation of the breach. Counsel added that at the time the town was rife with surprise packet schemes, so much so that it appeared that the public gained the impression that the schemes were not obnoxious to the law. Senior Detective Hammond said that defendants were warehousemen, and ho suggested that they inaugurated the scheme to get rid of surplus stock. They did not nominate the orphans as the beneficiaries until they found they could not pet a permit to carry out the scheme. Defendants were before the Court on the 19th ult., when they got an adjournment and went on selling., Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., took into consideration the facts put forward by counsel and fined defendants £1 on each charge, plus costs. [The nbove appeared in our late edition j-esterday.]