OPIUM SMOKING.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 246, 14 September 1935, Page 2

OPIUM SMOKING.

USE OF PREMISES. CHINAMAN’S SECOND OFFENCE. Penalties totalling £B7 10s on three charges were imposed by the Bench in the Magistrate’s Court at Palmerston North, yesterday, on Ah Joe, alias Joe Bing, a Chinese laundryman, aged 33, who was charged that, being the occupier of premises situated at 317 Main Street, he did permit the same to be used for the smoking of opium on September 11. He was further charged with smoking prepared opium and with being found in possession of prepared opium. Messrs A. J. Graham and Mr M. A. Eliott, J.l’.’s, were on the Bench.

Accused greeted the Bench with an expansive smile when asked to plead, but his counsel (Mr J. M. Gordon) entered a plea of guilty to all three charges. Senior-Sergeant Moriarty said that accused’s premises were visited at 7.10 p.m. on September II by Constables Barrett and Miller, who found accused and two other Chinese in a bedroom prepared for the smoking of opium. Accused and one of the others were smoking opium, while the third was looking on. The whole place was searched, opium being found in accused’s bedclothes and in his suit of clothes in another room. Senior-Ser-geant Moriarty produced two pipes, two lamps, 1 i ounces of opium, and other materials found there. He added that accused had been convicted and fined £25 a month ago for having opium on the premises, but so far had paid only £5. Whatever happened accused evidently did not intend to give up opium. Mr Gordon 6aid the three charges really constituted one offence. The opium was the remainder of that on the premises wlren they were last searched, the police having failed to discover this and the pipes. Accused had admitted that offence quite frankly, and this was really, a continuation of it. Counsel was informed that it was “poor man’s opium,” consisting of seconds. The Bench: But it is still opium. Counsel said seconds had only a quarter the strength of pure opium. The Bench : Yes, it affects tlie morphia percentage. Mr Gordon said accused rented the premises and sublet the front part as a laundry, using the back himself. The police had been there on numerous occasions and there had never been any suspicion of white girls being there. It was used as a boardinghouse for travelling Chinamen, and accused, in showing an Otaki friend Chinese hospitality, permitted him to smoke a pipe of opium. Accused had no intention of continuing the opium habit, and intended to give up the boardinghouse 1 and to confine himself to market gardening. The Bench: Is it not possible that he is a confirmed opium smoker P Mr Gordon: From appearances my opinion is that he has been smoking a good deal of opium recently. Nothing else is known against him. The Bench said it seemed that accused had continued the practice in defiance of the law.

“There is no doubt that this is an opium den,” said Senior-Sergeant Moriarty. He added that there were only rough beds there, and it was a resort for travelling Chinamen. Accused had intimated his intention of going to gaol rather than pay another fine. Accused was ccuvicted and fined £SO on the first charge, £l2 10s on the second and £25 on the third, with 10s costs on each count. Default was fixed at three months’ imprisonment. He was given until Monday to make payment, Senior-Sergeant Moriarty opposing the granting of time, saying that Chinamen were so elusive that it might take months to find accused again.