Met Constable After Celebrating Illegal Win

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30499, 22 July 1964, Page 6

Met Constable After Celebrating Illegal Win

(New Zealand Press Association)

GORE, July 21. The Gore Pipe Band, charged with conducting an illegal lottery, was perhaps unfortunate in that the winner of the major prize when wending has way home should have met a police constable, Senior-Sergeant O. D. Wilkes told Mr W. M. Willis, S.M., today. The constable spoke to the man, who volunteered the information that he had been celebrating his win, and he produced a cheque with

which he had been presented. Inquiries were made, and the offence was admitted. Although the lottery was illegal, there was nothing to show that it had been conducted for personal gaip, said Senior-Sergeant Wilkes. The band, an incorporated society, was charged that between December 22, 1963, and May 3, 1964, it established a scheme known as the “Two Hundred Club” by which prizes of money were gained by mode of chance. It was convicted and fined £2O. New Uniforms Counsel, Mr H. C. Barton, entered a plea of guilty. It was a pity that the band had not adopted legal means of. raising money, said the Magistrate. Senior-Sergeant Wilkes said that last year the band executive had discussed means of raising money for new uniforms. It hit on the idea of a club, and although the committee knew that this type of raffle was illegal, it decided to take the chance. Senior-Sergeant Wilkes said that 200 tickets at £lO each were sold in the form of honorary members’ tickets. Nineteen weekly draws were made for prizes of £2O. £lO and £5 and there was a final draw for a single prize of £5OO. All told, £1165 was distributed in prizes. Profit of £7OO On the final night the band conducted a social evening, and after meeting expenses it showed a profit of just on £7OO. Like all organisations of its type, the band performed a worth-while function, said Mr Barton, and it gave of its time freely and generously. It had few opportunities of raising money by means of public functions. Mr Barton said that at least 90 per cent of the 200 members of the club were supporters of the band, and they would probably have given the band donations if they had been asked. But the band wanted to give something in return for the assistance it received.