THE GAMING ACT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 606, 8 September 1909, Page 9

THE GAMING ACT.

:; . PUBLICATION OF BETTING y •"■■-•" .'-' -INFORMATION.'" .". ■;.; .'•■'. - (By Tclccraph.-I'ress Asaoclallon.l, ;', ' '-'"•' Chrislcliurch, September 7. ' .- Matthew- F. -Bar.iett, proprietor, and.publishcr. of -"Daylight,'.'. n.. sporting' journal, was. charged, beforo Mr... Wr'll. Haseldeh, S.M., this'morning, with publishing, on July 3' at : Ohristchurch, a notification of betting by some person on a. horse race to bo "run in New Zealand) 'contrary to Section 80"of the; Gaming' Act... '.',_. Mr. : Springer,. K.C., prosecuted. Det'endant," who conducted 'his pleaded riot guilty. . '■'.-' Mr. Stringer explained that it was really a case to'get an interpretation.' Tho' section provided that, evcry.'peraori. was liable to ..a lino not exceeding £20 who printed, published, .'sold,. 0r..-.exhibited a, newspaper,, .or other document,'containing an. advertisement or.'rifltification r by, or oh' behalf of, any-.per-son as. to.betting on,any,,horse.racei. to b'o run";in;or outside of New ..Zealand/".: "The charge, against defendant was that ho published : a.newspaper called,"Daylight," cohJiajniii'g,a;'npiiUcaiioa'.Jby,/G<ajtno .porspn.as to. hotting oij-'a .}iorse .race fun"in New, Zealand. ■".[Mr...btringor:. vve don't say uyiwliom; The 1 real question' fa j Us to /-prove that..tlie;,pcttjng was, published! bii.' behalf of!.some . mit'...it ;;.is' ■ not. Defendant .r, :w'as clearly' within,^hofmeaning,iof s the-;,A(lt;ini "publishing..betting! .<: It. is-meaded; .'.'Bettingmarket ;. from our-, -'own-. correspondents. . Underneath, are two: of the Canterbury,. Jockey Club's. - 'races,..and ,1300 to 16 is-.offered against Lo Beau, andWirral, and so.on with : a.'list of various prices. ■: We say-the .paper therefore contains a notification by some person as.to bottin" on,horse race 3 run in Now Zealand. Defendant will.admit the raco was run, in New Zealand. vThe, case, conforms exactly to the section. Supposing it is published in. the paper ; that Nata'tori-or some fictitious nanle,. will give' information, as. to bettine. :on'• horse .races,! and wo '. cannot prove who' Natdtor'is. It will not. matter. Tho ■ betting is admittedly from' "our correspondents." It is a notification _by their Wellington correspondent.that, ti'icso prices will be given. Thoro is nothing in tho Act to say'.'we have to prdvo whom the' betting is oh .behalf )01.-,si. . * .. .'■' Defendant 'said'that, there v/as nothing in Section .30, of the. Act it ~an olt'enco for him to publish betting information supplied ,by correspondents; : ■ ' ' -.Mr., Stringer, said... there was'. no .occasion to,prove,a particular'person,,but from;what he 'understood; it had to bo. proved that. it .was published by or on behalf of a particular person/' -;-■' ..,-„; ." , . '•.• '. . ,Tho Magistrate said ho would- not' trouble, to reserve his decision. The police." were legally.represented, but.defendant would not take tho trouble to> have, tho case argued from a legal point of .view.' : ', ~...•'., ....'_ "I .siipposo you wiir'appcal. from my de-. ; oision,'.', he-Baiu,.'addressir)g.defendant,;"and .engage! counsel...to ..argue tho matter.. -A nominal fino : is absu'rd'in this-case. .You I are-fined-£2O and. coats."- : -.-• !- ,■ ';'■■'