WOMEN BOOKMAKERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19800, 22 November 1927, Page 13

WOMEN BOOKMAKERS.

BETTING ON RACECOURSE. "AN EXTENSIVE BUSINESS." MAGISTRATE IMPOSES FINES. Charges ot carrying on the business of bookmaking at the Otahuhu Trotting Club's meeting on Saturday were admitted by two women in the Police Court yesterday. They were Mary Smith, who was stated to have conducted an "extensive business," who was fined £4O, and Hilda Jane Wigg, upon whom a penalty of £lO was imposed, it being said she was only a beginner at the business. "They were openly betting under the grandstand at the race meeting in Alexandra Park on Saturday and were detected by the racecourse inspector and detectives," said Chief-Detectivo Cummings. "They had an audience of 200 or 300 people." Smith had a number of slips in her possesion and it was obvious she had been carrying on an extensive business. By occupation she was a dressmaker, but there were suspicions that sho was working in with a male bookmaker. Wigg was not in such a good position, added Mr. Cummings. She was rather poor and thought that because another woman, who had once been poorly clad, could carry out the business and wear fine clothes she could do the same thing. She tried bookmaking for the first time on Saturday with the idea of "getting rich quick " Smith had nothing to say. Wigg said she was only taking money for the other woman. "She was bookmaking all right," said Mr Cummings. "Only last month a woman was fined £25 for a similar offence, but it does not seem to have had the desired effect." The magistrate, Mr. W. R. McKean, in imposing the penalties, said: "If I thought you were agents I' would impose a more substantial penalty. It was most impudent of you both to openly take bets in front of the stand."