RACING ACCEPTANCES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21130, 12 March 1932, Page 15

RACING ACCEPTANCES.

PUBLISHERS PROSECUTED. DISMISSAL OF CHARGES. HELD NOT TO* BE PROGRAMMES. A prosecution brought against A. W. Organ and A. A. Cape], before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday, on charges of publishing race programmes without licences from the controlling bodies was dismissed, the magistrate considering that the publications were not programmes in form. Organ appeared on two charges respecting the Sports Guide, and Capel on one count respecting the New Zealand Racing Pilot. Detective-Sergeant Kelly said the cases were brought under Section 37 of the Police Offences Act, which laid down that no publication purporting to be ,1 programme of a sport could bo issued without authority from the organisation controlling the sport. Counsel for the defendants said the 0110 question for decision was whether the publications actually were programmes. Evidence was given by Arthur G. Mabee, secretary to the Auckland Trotting Club, that races were held at Alexandra Park, Epsom, on February 24. A printer, li. L. Kaycs, had the licence to publish the official programme, and no one else had the right to issue a programme. Acceptances appeared in the publication concerned in the charge. The Magistrate: And in the daily news-; papers, too. The witness replied that the daily press had tho authority to print such matter. He regarded the Sports Guide as a programme sold on the course for 3d. Counsel for, Organ remarked that the information appearing on the card appeared in the press six days previously. William Stanley Sponce, secretary to the Auckland Racing Club, said the Sports Guide and the Racing Pilot were 6old on the Ellerslie course on Januaiy 2. . The proprietors did not have the authority of the club to publish programmes. Horace L. Kayes, printer of the official programmes, stated that, on lebruaiy 24, he heard vendors of the Sports Guide call out " race guide," which sounded like " race card," the name the official programme was generally called. Tho magistrate said he was not able to see that either publication was a programme, and dismissed the charges.