BAND’S FINANCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 April 1933, Page 6

BAND’S FINANCE

“LOTTERY”PROSECUTION. [pee pbess association.] WELLINGTON, April 12. The legality of a scheme to raise funds to send the Port Nicholson Silver Band to Dunedin, to compete at the Band Contest, was questioned at the Magistrate’s Court, before Mr. Page, S.M., when William James Spittal and Alfred Buckley, representing the Committee, were charged with breaches of the Gaming Act. Defendants were charged with assisting in managing or conducting a lottery, and with disposing of a motor car by lottery or chance. After he had heard evidence and legal argument, the Magistrate reserved his decision. Evidence was presented to show the winner of the prize had been determined by a process of elimination in connection with competitive rifle shooting. The prosecution submitted that the competition was not decided by skill, because no skill was exercised by the competitors, and the chances .between the persons runnig the competition and holders of tickets were not equal. The only suggestion of skill was that on the part of the riflemen. The defence submitted that the most that had been proved was that there was disposal by chance of the right in the final shooting contest for eleven individual ticket holders to be represented bv individual marksmen, “I submit all that has been- disposed of by lottery or chance is the right or representation in a contest of skill, said counsel, who intimated that if a conviction was entered, the decision of another Court would be obtained. The Magistrate said he would give a written decision after the Easter holidays.