ART UNION AT SHOW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20303, 10 July 1929, Page 14

ART UNION AT SHOW.

TAKAPUNA BOATING CLUB.

NOMINAL PENALTY IMPOSED

INDIVIDUAL CHARGES DROPPED

"We usl< only for a nominal penally," saiil Chief-Detective Hammond in the Police Court yesterday, when Ihe Takapuna Boating Club was charged with conducting a lottery at the Winder Show. On Monday Roy Lidgard was dialled with assisting in Ihe management of a lottery, while Charles George Blaekwal'.l and James Ji'lmson Mackay were eacli charged with disposing of envelopes in wihic.h permission was given to the purcluiscr to participate in a 1 utlory. The <:sse was adjourned until yesterday, when the informations against the three men were withdrawn and a eliargo was prefarrod against the chili, fin- which the men were acting.

In outlining the case on .Monday tho chief (h'iettivn s..id thai the ctub obtained the pci'inifisiiiii of the Minister of Internal Affairs to eoui'iict an art union. The club bad ten salesmen at tho .show selling envelopes at Is each, and all tho envelopes contained a ticket iu tlie art union, while ono in every ten also contained* an order for a cash prizo of 2s <6d. It was contended that this constituted a lottery "Counsel has mado tho suggestion that if the informations laid against the thrco specified men aro withdrawn artd the name of tho Takapuna Boating Club, an incorporate*! body, is substituted, a [ilea of guilty will bo entered," said Mr. Hammond, when the case was resumed yesterday. "Warnings to desist^, havo been given time and again, but have been ignored, and we have had to prosecute to Isold our end up." Air. Vialoux, who appeared for the club, said that the club held tho authority of the Minister for an art union. What it had done was to hold a nufflo within a raffle. Tho club was purely a philanthropic body, and was conducting (he art union for the furtherance otf boating at Bayswwtcr. He asked for a nominal penalty, and gave an undertaking that the lottery would be stopped at once, tho art union itself to continue.

The magistrate, Mr, F. K. Hunt, agreed to tho withdrawal of tho individual charges, and a new charge against the club was substituted, Mr. Vialoux pleading guilty. Remarking that lie would inflict only a nominal fine, the magistrate imposed a fine of £1 on (lie club.