CHINESE AND PAKAPOO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16338, 19 September 1916, Page 9

CHINESE AND PAKAPOO.

FIVE FINED £50 EACH.

PREVALENCE OF GAMBLING.

[BY TELEGRAPH.— PRESS association.]

WELLINGTON. Monday. As the result of a recent raid on Chinese premises in Haining Street in which pikapoo was being carried on, five Chinese were dealt with by Mr. G. Reid, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court to-day. They were each fined £50, in default one month's imprisonment.

According to a statement by Inspector Hendry, there are 100 Chinese living on the lottery business in Wellington, and the privilege of allowing these aliens to remain in our midst cost us £30,000 a year. As many as 24 banks are drawn daily, and the operations are secret, so that the probability is that pakapoo investors are swindled. The inspector represented the necessity of something drastic being done to bring the business to an end. So far as the Chinese going to prison were concerned, ho explained that it rested with their wealthy bankers in the background to decide whether their fine should be paid or they should be allowed tq undergo incarceration, from which they would receive a consideration of £2 a week. Mr. O'Leary, for the defence, contended that the inspector was much exaggerating the position, and pointed out that defendants were vegetable vendors who only added to their carningsby a few pence in disposing of pakapoo tickets. One of the defendants was fined an additional 10s for assaulting a constable in the execution of his duty.