FOUR LOCAL RAIDS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 12, 15 January 1929, Page 11

FOUR LOCAL RAIDS

SUBSTANTIAL: FINES IMPOSED

Four raids were carried. out simultaneously yesterday afternoon by the police on. premises occupied by Chinese in Taranaki and Vivian streets. As a result, a number» of Chinese and Europeans were charged in the Magistrate's Court to-day with offences arising out of the playing of pak'apoo. ' . .'

Wong Wai, a fruiterer, aged 57,-and Sam Ckoug, a laundry man, aged 40, pleaded guilty to using their premises;at 154, Taranaki street, and 145,.Taranaki street, respectively, as comnTon gaming houses, and Ah Lee, a cook, aged 28, Ah Ching, a gardener, aged 22, .and Frank Kee, aged 70,, admitted having been found on the premises., '•Acting-Chief Detective Holmes saidthat both Wong Wai and Sam Chong were convicted for keeping gaming, houses three months ago, and they had gone straight back and opened up again. Ah Lee had .also been convicted last year for being,found in a gaming house. The othervtwo. were first offenders. '■■• i ■

Counsel, for the defendants-(Mr. O. C. Mazengarb) stressed the fact.that no Europeans had been -found on the premises. The , Chinese, he said, saw no moral harm in pakapoo, and they found it difficult to rid themselves of the habit. The two principals were work-' ing in a very small way, and were, merely agents .for others. Ah Ghing. and Ah .Lee, had a good defence to .the charge of being found, on the premises,' but as convictions did not weigh very heavily with Chinese they had elected to plead guilty; Frank Kee was a very old man who was dependent on other Chinese for a living. Mr. Holmes said it was not.correct to state that; white men did lidt frequent the places^ They were the ones who kept'the Chinese in the business. The defendants were patronised by men who worked on. the wharves, and they; lived entirely on the money .derived from the Europeans. . ; - . Mr. E. Page, S.M., said that' as both Wong Wai and Sam Chong had* been, convicted only three months ago,, he would have to impose a more substantial penalty than" before. Each of them would be- fined '£40, in default three months', -imprisonment.-,- Three weeks were allowed -in, each ease for the payment of the- fine.',.-'•' ■'■ ■

Ah Lee was fined; :£3,j in default seven days' imprisonment,, and- Prank Kee and'Ah Ching were each fined £2,----in default seven days? imprisonment; ; Sun Wing On, a shop assistant] 1 aged 40, and Joe Jack, a.laundry.band, aged 29, also admitted using their premises at 127, Taranaki street, and 95, Vivian street, respectively, as common gaming houses. . ..... ..':.; .... ..-.

Mr. C. A. L.TreadWell,:who,appeared on behalf of., these'two 'accused, said that .both men. had been. in: New Zealand for a number of years,' and had never been in any trouble.before. The gaming businesses they ran' were very small ones, as was shown by the fact that when the police raid wasmade Sun Wing On had only. Bs,: and ; Joe Jack about £2. Joe Jack had:okiy been in the pakapoo business for five .weeks. Each, of the aceused.<was. fined'.£2o, three..weeks being allowed in;which.-'to find the money. Default- was fixed at six weeks-' imprisonment. ■' '. .V, . : Pour Europeans^-Walter" White, a printer, aged- 27; Biehard Harrison, 'a fireman, aged 35; Albert Edward Bennett, a fireman, aged's 4; and , Gilbert Johnßiordan, a labourer; 1 aged 33-^-who were found on the premises were.^acli fined £2. They were allowed a fortnight in which to pay the fines.' '