A LOTTERY ALLEGED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19809, 2 December 1927, Page 13

A LOTTERY ALLEGED.

NEWSPAPER PROSECUTED. THE DECISION RESERVED. Four "charges, arising from the holding of racing competitions, were preferred against the Sun Newspapers, Limited, Mr. Northcroft, in the Police Court yesterday. The first charge was of establishing a lottery. Two other charges were of using certain premises for the purpose oi receiving money in consideration to pay money on the contingency of a horse race, and the fourth was a similar charge, £IOOO being mentioned as the promised payment. Chief-Detective Cummings said the charges arose out of coupons published in the paper referring to race meetings. Prizes had been offered for the winners of competitions in connection with the Avondale Jockey Club Spring Meeting, the Auckland Jockey Club Spring Meeting, the Auckland trotting meeting, the New Zealand Cup and the New Zealand Trotting Cup. Police officers had filled in the coupons id the office of the newspaper. Publication of the coupons was admitted, the point in dispute being whether the publication was an offence. Mr. Northcroft said it was not a lottery because it was not purely a matter of chance. There was a certain amount of skill requirod in the competition The magistrate. Mr. W. It. McKean, reserved his decision.