"ARE THEY TOOLS?"

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 162, 11 July 1934, Page 13

"ARE THEY TOOLS?"

CHINESE GAMBLERS.

'SMALL' PAKAPOO OFFENDERS

MAGISTRATE PUZZLED. The suggestion that possibly the Chinese who appear periodically before the Police Court for conducting the game of pakapoo in common gaming houses are merely the tools of others who control gambling on a large scale in Auckland was made by .Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., in the Police Court this morning, when four Chinese appeared on gaining charges as the result of raids carried out by detectives in Grey Avenue and Hobson (Street on July 3. Charlie Wong, aged 48, pleaded guilty to a charge of using premises at 55, Grey Avenue, of which he was the occupier, as a common gaming house. ilr. 8. Tong appeared for Wong. Senior Detective Hall said that when Detective Allsopp raided the premises on -Inly 3 Wong was found there alone, and a quantity of pakapoo material was seized by the police. Wong explained that he had only been selling tickets lor 10 days. .Mr. Tong said it was Wong's first offence, and counsel asked the magistrate to take into consideration that accused had cmiic to Court and frankly admitted the offence. His business was a very small one. "Something at Back of It." "It is hard to understand why these men keep going if the business they conduct is so small," said Mr. Wilson. "It is harder to understand how these first offenders can pay the large fines imposed b\ the Court. What is the reason for it. all? There must be something at the back of it. Men don't carry on a small business and then be able to pay a big fine when they are caught. Are they the tools of somebody else? Pakapoo is becoming a nuisance in the city. It is a wasteful habit of gambling and has a pernicious effect on the community. It is all so contradictory to the natural law that a man shall receive what he has earned." Wong was fined £25, or three months' imprisonmept. Ah Gin, aged 53, then stepped into the dock, to plead guilty to a charge of assisting in the management of a common'• gaining house at 92, Grey Avenue. The police stated that a constable had also purchased pakapoo tickets, from accused and that while he" was there Jie noticed a number of white men marking tickets. The material found showed ■that five "banks" wore drawn in the one day at the house. Ah Gin had not been in trouble previously. Mr. Dyson said Ah Gin was unable to get employment or even charitable aid. Although they paid the unemployment levy, no relief work was found for Chinese. "The men who run the pakapoo ; 'banks' get these fellows, like my client, j to run agencies for them at 8/ or 9/ , per day," said Mr. Dyson. "The men j who control the 'banks' in Auckland never seem to get caught. In Ah Gin's case the offence is really due. to circum- , stances over which he has no control. He j will have to suffer because he has tried to live, so I would ask your Worship to j take this into" consideration, and not impose a Marge fine under the circumstances." '. A fine of £25, or three months' imprisonment was imposed. "Of the Worst Type." "Wong Hum seems to be of the worst j type of Chinese nuisance," said the j magistrate, in finding him £100 or three I months' imprisonment for being the occupier of 184, Hobson Street, premises used as a common gaming house. "He has been convicted before for gaming, and also in connection with opium," added the magistrate. 4.h Wong, vyho pleaded guilty to a charge of assisting in the management of the same common gaming house, was fined £25 or two months' imprisonment.