LOTTERY ADVERTISEMENTS

Evening Star, Issue 19328, 14 August 1926, Page 11

LOTTERY ADVERTISEMENTS

NEWSPAPERS FINED CHARITY APPEALS. [Pkr United .Press Association.] < AUCKLAND, August 13. Two fines of £1 each were imposed upon the proprietors of both the Auckland 1 Star ’ and the ‘ Now Zealand Herald’ at the Police Court to-day, when they were charged before AH J. vV. Poynton, S.M., _ with publishing advertisements relating to lotteries. Two of the advertisements in each case wore in connection with charitable appeals, and it was in respect or those cases that the court imposed the fines. Two other charges were brought against the ‘ Star,’ which was represented by Mr Terry, and six others against the ‘ Herald,’ which was represented by Mr Richmond, and these charges wore dismissed under section 92 of the Justices of the Pence Act. Mr Richmond said that the publication of tho advertisements of the lotteries was discontinued in both papers before the police took any action. Ho submitted there was no cvidenco that any persons wore induced by tho advertisements to buy anything. Cbief-dotective Cummings; “There was intent to induce.” Detective Cummings asked that .the information in tho charge he amended, and accordingly this was done.

Mr Poynton: The advertisements! were put into the papers with the intent to induce people to invest in surprise packets. It is sufficient to prove the publication. Mr Richmond: It was not established at the time to which the charges relate that surprise packets constituted a lottery. _ Detective Cummings; The papers in Auckland had been cautioned in regard to this kind of thing before. Oner of the advertisements was Gin in length. Mr Terry associated himself with the remarks or Mr Richmond, and also said that proof of intent to induce should bo produced in court. With regard to the facts, he said that the proprietors of both papers had their sense of vigilance dulled because people had been surfeited with the wave of art unions and packets. •Ho suggested, as it could not ho urged there was any deliberate intent, that the cases should bo dismissed.

Mr _ Poynton said tho court would take into consideration the fact that the advertisements in some of the cases were for charity, and also the fact that the advertisements of this typo were withdrawn before tho prosecution by the police. The magistrate imposed a fine of £1 and costs in connection with the publication of tho charity advertisements, and dismissed tho other charges.