WIVES COMPLAIN

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 221, 15 June 1931, Page 11

WIVES COMPLAIN

Husbands’ Wages Spent on “Doubles” BOOKMAKER FINED Dominion Special Service. Masterton, June 13. "There are quite a number of these parasites springing up about the town and they have got to be put down,” stated Sergeant T. Dyer in the Masterton Magistrate’s Court this morning, when John James Brennan, alias Storee alias Brownlee, 36 years of age, was charged with bookmaking. A charge of being an idle and disorderly person was also preferred against Brennan. He pleaded guilty to both charges. Sergeant Dyer said that the police had had accused under observation for some time. He had been in Masterton for about twelve months and had been employed for a period at the Waingawa Freezing Works, but he had done no work since April 4. He had been carrying on the business of a bookmaker for the past twelve months, operating chiefly among the employees at the Waingawa works and the Masterton gasworks. He had also visited boardinghouses in the town for the purpose of taking bets. Inconsequence of this complaints had come from married ./omen that their husbands were coming home at the week-end with only half of their wages. He had been arrested this morning by Constable Le Comte, and when questioned was quite frank and admitted laying small doubles for about twelve months. A substantial penalty was asked for. The magistrate, Mr. J. Miller, commented that the arresting feature of the case was that accused had frequented works and relieved workmen of their hard-earned money. The men did not matter so much. It was the women who suffered. Brennan’s mode of operating probably caused more distress than did the big bookmakers. Men like him were a menace to society. A fine of £4O, in default three months’ imprisonment, was Imposed on the charge of bookmaking. On the charge of vagrancy Brennan was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within twelve months.