BIG ROUND UP

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 22 October 1941, Page 6

BIG ROUND UP

WELLINGTON PAKAPOO DENS :»« Oi l I NDI RS CHARGED FIXES TOTAL £2590 Wellington, This Though he agreed with counsel, Mr .1. Melt/.er. that housing conditions in the Mount Cook district in VV< llington were, “deplorable,” Mr Stout, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court to-day did not think that any excuse for the playing of pakapoo for oflfcn.es in connection with which he lined fifty men mostly Chinese a total of £2590. The charges arose from the biggest raid ever made by the police against pakapoo dens in Wellington led by Detective-Sergeant W. Me—l.cnnan and Sergeant A. E. Kcartcn. About sixtv uniformed police and detectives raided 31 houses in the Mount Cook area early last night and the body of the rourt was filled with Chinese to—day when 45 of them were charged .All pleadguilty. Eighteen of them who had previous gaming convictions were each flne<l I £IOO for keeping common gaming i house:, four with no previous gaming i convictions were each fined £SO for the \ same offence and nine with no pre- \ :ou. convictions of any sort were also fined £SO for the same offence. One was fined £SO for assisting in keeping a gaming house and thirteen each fined £5 for being found in gaming houses All were represented by Mr Meltzer. Five Europeans each pleaded guilty to ; being found in gaming houses and wer# lined £5 and one Chinese who was ; charged with being assistant keeper j and two who were charged with being I found in gaming houses were remanded j until Friday as they pleaded not guilty I and :i number of Europeans will ap- ! pear later on summons as a result of j the raids. PROBLEM IS SOCIAL REFORM "This matter of playing pakapoo is I becoming very serious in the Mount Cook area and has assumed vast proI portions. ’’ said Detective Sergeant McLennan. Mr Meltzer said that the fact that such a large number of men were | charged presented a problem in social reform for the civic fathers of Wellington that could not be ignored. Certain I conditions existing in Wellington were j now recognised as scandalous and I called for urgent treatment by the civic authorities. There was a danger of the public, said council, associating these slum conditions with the Chinese S themselves. BETTER HOI SING C ONDITIONS WANTED “If these proceedings result in some : action being taken. give these men ; better conditions of housing than they | have at present. It will be to the good , because I believe that if the civia I fathers did their duty and improved j conditions in this particular locality it ; would possibly have the effect of giving 1 these men a better outlook on life j more in keeping with the Europeans j and that would discourage them from carrying on this secret gambling,” said • counsel. The Magistrate said that the obvious ! evil was very rampant in Wellington and he did not think that the fact that j housing conditions were deplorable any excuse. He was sure that they would | have it with them whether housing conditions were good or bad just the | same as they had opium trouble for I many years. Evidently pakapoo was a growing evil and must be put down. 1 —P.A.