RAN DOUBLE CHARTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 281, 27 November 1931, Page 5

RAN DOUBLE CHARTS.

ONLY SMALLER FRY CAUGHT

THREE FINES AT NEW PLYMOUTH.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

NEW PLYMOUTH, Thursday,

" Running a double chart" after he had been put on " half time" as a billiard marker, Noel Jury was fined £10 by Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., while two other men were fined £7 10/ and £5 for a similar offence.

"There is a laughable side to this matter in that the police succeeded in landing only the smaller fry," said counsel for Jury and Neilson.

"Yes, sir, we admit that and make no apology, and counsel knows perfectly well why that is so," said Detective Meiklejohn. '

"He is a pure amateur as distinguished from certain other gentleman," said counsel. "His chart was hand-made and circulated among friends. The amount of investment was less than required for art union tickets, and, at the rate of sixpence, it was a less serious waste of money." Moreover, skill was required to pick a winning double, whereas the purchase of an art union ticket required none.

It was not. for him to criticise the Legislature, said the magistrate; he was there to follow the Act. If the Legislature considered the offence should not be punished, it must pass some other statute. If the men • were small fry tliey were very foolish. It must not go out that because of hard times people could do this sort of thing and get off with light fines. v-

"It does seem a peculiar commentary on our national make-up that a man can be brought to court and stamped as a criminal for doing something that any one of us can do. down the street and do," said counsel.