OPIUM SMOKING

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 153, 25 March 1938, Page 15

OPIUM SMOKING

Eight Chinese Convicted Following Raid OCCUPIER OF PREMISES FINED £75 Eight Chinese appeared in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday, before Mr. J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M., on charges connected with opium smoking. Sub-Inspector A. D. McLean prosecuted on behalf of the police and Mr. J. Meltzer appeared for all the defendants. Convicted of being the occupier o. the premises in Haining Street raided by the police on Wednesday night, William Low, gardener, aged 43, was fined £75 and costs.

“I suppose it would be something remarkable to be able to say anything in a ease of this kind,” said Mr. Meltzer. “I do not think Low has had a previous conviction on a charge of this nature.”

“No, but he has been well mixed up in the business from what I see of his record,” said the magistrate. “I think we should take a more subjective view of these offences,” said Mr. Meltzer. “After all, these men do not think that they are doing wrong, though, of course, it is unlawful. 1 would ask your worship to be as lenient as possible.” All of the seven charged .with being on the premise's pleaded guilty and all had had previous convictions. They were convicted and ordered to pay the following fines:—Ah Fong, £3O; Ng Kum Tong, £5O; Jim Hong, £2O; Ah Sum, £3O; Lon Qun, £l7/10/-; Chow Hong, £l5; and Joe Wing, £2O. Theft Of Coat ' “He said that he bought the coat from a man in the street for 2/ —the same old story that we have heard so often before,” said Sub-Inspector McLean when prosecuting William Henry Jones, carpenter, aged 52, on a charge of the theft of an overcoat from the Selwyn Hotel. “It is not likely that anyone would sell such a coat at that price, and as this man was seen wearing it the day after it was missed, March 21, I do'not think there'is any doubt about the matter.” Jones was convicted and received a sentence of three months’ imprisonment. Window Damaged Charged with drunkenness and wilful damage to a window, the property of Alexander Ferguson, an old-age pensioner occupying a shop in Taranaki Street, John Richard Keane, labourer, aged 67, was convicted and discharged on the first charge and ordered to pay the cost of the damage for the second offence. When arrested he denied that he had broken the window, but he pleaded guilty when he appeared in court. He stated that he was willing to pay for what he had done. He was also an old-age pensioner. Traffic Breaches

Several caees involving breaches of the traffic regulations were heard, Mr. A. R. Cooper conducting the prosecutions for the Wellington City Corporation traffic department. For exceeding the speed limit of 30 miles an hour on The Parade, Island Bay, Frederick William Edwards was fined 30/- and costs. For similar offences Neville Burrough and James Albert Cook were each fined £2 and costa. For exceeding the speed limit through the Hataitai traffic tunnel and overtaking on the bend approaching the tunnel Morar Nathu was fined 30/- and £1 respectively, with costs in each case. For driving in a manner that might have been dangerous to the public Cyril Edward Copp was fined £3 and costs. He rode a motor-cycle along Clyde Quay into Kent Terrace and his speed past the intersection was 30 miles an hour. He later accelerated and passed the intersection of Kent Terrace and Vivian Street at 45 miles an hour at a time when the traffic on the road was heavy. Copp pleaded guilty. Albert John Beck was fined 30/- and costs for parking his car in Lambton Quay 14 feet out from the footpath. His car was stated to have been impeding other traffic and no attempt had been made to park it in a proper place. For passing a tramcar on the incorrect side at a time when traffic was heavy Bartholomew Duffell was fined £2 and costs.

For travelling in the wrong direction in a one-way street and failing to obtain a warrant of fitness I J eter Barras was fined 10/- and costs in each case. For parking offences Sir Alexander Roberts and Frederick William Cracknell were each fined 10/- and costs. Cyril Thurston was ordered to pay costs for proceeding against the automatic traffic lights at Courtenay Place.