FLOUTING OF LAWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23055, 4 June 1938, Page 12

FLOUTING OF LAWS

BOOKMAKING BUSINESS EFFECT ON YOUNG PEOPLE COMMENT BY MAGISTRATE [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Friday Dealing with a bookmaking proseou? tion to-day, Sir. J. H. Luxford, S.M., said the open flouting of the gaming laws had probably as much to do with the increase of adolescent crime as anything in New Zealand. Young people saw such a serious offence as bookmaking carried on with impunity, and they came to think it was clever to flout the law. Defendant was Ralph Ellie Thompson, aged 58, a barman, who pleaded guilty. "Probably tho Courts have not done their duty," said Mr. Luxford, "and fines have been imposed year after year tvhich have been nothing more than licence fees to bookmakers. I do not propose suddenly to .change what has been almost the established practice of inflicting fines in these cases." A fine of £2O and costs was imposed. It was stated that there was no evidence that defendant had been betting in anything but a small way, and no evidence that he had been betting for a lengthy period. Eight years ago he was a bookmaker and was heavily fined, but afterward, said counsel, he lived within the law.