OPIUM SMOKING.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20918, 27 July 1933, Page 7

OPIUM SMOKING.

NINE CHINESE FINED. !fU!3 ASSOCIATION UXLEGiAU.) WELLINGTON. July 26. Submitting that it seemed farcial that proceedings for opium smoking should be recurring over and over again, when the police had power to close premises which they knew were opium dens, counsel for nine Chinese charged in the Magistrate's Court this afternoon suggested that some measures of sympathy should be extended, as the men had the habit ingrained in them. So long as facilities existed for the smoking of opium, the temptation would always be present, and it seemed unfair that Chinese should be fined from time to time, thus increasing the Consolidated Fund. The case was the outcome of a raid carried out about 2 o'clock this morning on premises at 142 Tory street. Willie Wong was charged with allowing his premises to be used for the purpose of smoking opium, and with wilfully obstructing Senior-Sergeant Scott in the lawful execution of his duty. Eight other Chinese were cl<Krged with being unlawfully on the prwnrises. Willie Wong, through Mr J. Melt* zer, pleaded guilty to the first charge, for which he was fined £SO, and not guilty to the other count, for which he was fined £5 in default three months' imprisonment. Four of the men who had previous convictions were fined £ls each, and the others were fined £l2 10® All p!«*dcd