"FLOUTING OF THE GAMING LAWS"
MAGISTRATE’S COMMENT ON BOOKMAKERS EFFECT ON YOUTHFUL CRIME (press association telegram.) WELLINGTON, June 3. Dealing with a bookmaking prosecution to-day. Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M.. said that open flouting of the gaming laws had probably as much to do with the increase of adolescent crime as anything in New Zealand. Young people saw such a serious offence as bookmaking carried bn with impunity and they came to think it was clever to flout the law. The accused was Ralph Ellis Thompson, aged 58, a barman, who’pleaded guilty. "Probably the Courts have not done their duty.” said the Magistrate, “and fines have been imposed year after year, which have been nothing more than licence fees to bookmakers. I do not propose suddenly to change what has been almost an established practice in imposing fines in these cases.” A fine of £2O with an order for costs was imposed. It was stated that there was no evidence that the accused had been betting in anything but a small way, and no evidence that he had been betting for a long period. . Eight years ago he was a bookmaker and was heavily fined, but afterwards, said counsel, he lived within the law.
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Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22419, 4 June 1938, Page 24
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204"FLOUTING OF THE GAMING LAWS" Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22419, 4 June 1938, Page 24
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