CHINESE AND OPIUM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19149, 15 October 1925, Page 15

CHINESE AND OPIUM.

THREE MEM 11 IN COURT. "SMOKING MUST BE STOPPED." FINES UP TO £25 IMPOSED. If they want to smoke opium they must go to another country; we 'will not allow it here," said Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday, when cases were heard against three Chinese. Ah Yin and Frederick Chinn admitted smoking opium, and Wong Shee admitted having opium in his possession. Mr. Dickson appeared for accused. Mr. A. V. Penn, collector of customs, said that Chief-Detective, Cummings and Senior-Detective Ward visited Chinn's premises, in Albert Street, on the night of October 7, and both he and Ah Yin admitted smoking opium. The house contained equipment, including pipes, for smoking opium. Chief-Detective Cummings said Chinn had two previous convictions for smoking opium, the last being in October, 1924, when he was fined £SO. Mr. Dickson said Chinn was an inveterate smoker, lie suffered from an internal complaint and had been under a doctor for years. The opium had a soothing effect. " We have to stop it," the magistrate said. "There is always the chance of Europeans taking to it." Mr. Dickson: There is no suggestion of Europeans being mixed up in this case. The Magistrate: Chinese are not allowed to smoke it in this country. Mr. Dickson: The fact that Chinn is suffering from a disease over which he has no control should be taken into consideration. With reference to Ah Yin, Mr. Dickson said this was his first appearance in Court. He was a hard-working young man, and was employed as a gardener at -Mangere. He was smoking only for 20 minutes. Wong Shee also had never been before the Court before. He had only a small quantity of opium with him at the time. The Magistrate: How much ? Mr. Penn said there would be about an eighth of an ounce; worth about £2. Mr. Dickson said most opium cases wore revenue-producing, and it was no use fining the accused heavily because they would go to gaol. The Magistrate: They do pretty well out of it. Chinn was fined £lO, Ah Yin £2 10s, and Wong Shee £25.