CHINESE GAMING HOUSES.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15699, 19 September 1916, Page 7

CHINESE GAMING HOUSES.

REVENUE OF £30..000 A YEAR

(rnESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.)

WELLINGTON, September 18

As a result of a recent raid on Chinese premises in Baimng street, in which pakapoo was being earned on, fivo Chinese were dealt with by Mr Reid, S.M., at tho Magistrate's Court to-day. They wore <»aeh fined £50, in default one month's imprisonment.

According to a statement by Inspector Hendry, there are 100 Chinese living on the lottery business iu Wellington, and the privilege of allowing these aliens to remain in our midst cosu> us £30,000 a year. As many as 24 banks are drawn daily, and tho operations aro secret, so that the probability is that pakapoo investors aro swindled. The Inspector represented the necessity of something drastic being dono to bring too business to an end.

So far a« Chinese going to prison are concerned, ho explained that it reeted with their wealthy baukers in tho background to decide whether their fines should he paid or they should bo allowed to undergo incarceration, for which they would receive a consideration of £2 per week. Mr O'Leary, for the defence contended that the Inspector was much exaggerating the position, and pointed out that the defendants wore vegetable vendors, who only added a few pence to their earnings by disposing of pakapoo tickets.

One of tho defendants was fined an additional 10s for assaulting a constable in the execution of his duty.