THE FORTUNE TELLER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15141, 4 November 1912, Page 4

THE FORTUNE TELLER.

INCREASING IN AUCKLAND. A CREDULOUS PUBLIC. Tire apparent increase in the number of fortune-tellers now plying their trade in Auckland rakes several questions of public interest. Besides tho many who publicly announce themselves as clairvoyants, psychometrists. or crystal seers, there are numbers following this ancient calling who trade upon the credulous public without such notification. These individuals havo fheir own regular circle of clients, and do 'not court publicity or a possible police j prosecution. The law on the subject on fortune-telling is intricate and complicated. Briefly, it enacts that anyone who professes to foretell the future by palmistry or any other means is liable to be punished as the lawdirects. Many of those who practice the art of palmistry will only read character from their client's hand. This, apparently, is not an offence against the law. Crystal-gazers, and others who profess to see visions in a glass globe or a bowl, of water, cannot strictly be said to be forecasting the future, although those who imagine that they can see the visions as often as not look upon them a* future events happening before their eyes. An-

other means by which the long arm of tho law is evaded by fortune-tellers is by frequently changing their, addresses. A regular system seems to bo in vogue amongst some of them in Auckland of exchanging residences for the time being. Those in a position, to speak with authority express the opinion that there are not more palmists and fortune-tellers at present in Auckland than there are in other large cities of the Dominion.

Investigations made by a Herald representative as to the type of person who frequents the haunts of these fortunetellers, show that some of the higher-class clairvoyants have a circle of clients exclusively composed of ladies. Others seem to be consulted by people of all classes in the community, including .matrons as well as young girls. The fees charged naturally have an effect, on the type of clients. It, is often supposed that women attend in la-ger numbers than men, but from observation it is apparent that at least as many, if not more, men than women are anxious to learn something of their character and their future from these professed seers. Tho fees charged vary from one shilling upwards, according to details required, and the supposed occult powers of the "medium.''

Estimates made from frequent, attendances at seances and ' public circles" show that on each night on which the " medium" site the receipts vary from £1 to £3. according to the rate of entrance fee. Clairvoyants, who only see individuals separately, usually charge from ha lf-a crown to seven and sixpence for their services. A lair estimate of the number of clients per day is half-a-dozen at the least. The lortuue-teller will therefore make an income of anything from £5 to £10 a week lor a lew nouns' work a dav. All this comes out. of the pockets of \, credulous public.

In connection with fortune-telling it is interesting to note that now, in London, peoplo professing to have occult powers are forbidden to advertise or to put their names up outside, their residences. In *u° i™ Ct>t aDd .Oxford-street alone more than 100 persona are engaged in the trade, find all have a very fashionable circle of '■'"outs, charging proportionally high fees-