PAKAPOO RAIDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24103, 23 October 1941, Page 12

PAKAPOO RAIDS

50 MEN FINED £2590

POLICE VISIT 31 HOUSES WELLINGTON SLUM AREA [BY TKLECi RAI'Il —PRBSS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGT()N, Wednesday Although, he agreed with counsel, Mr. J. Melty.er, that housing conditions in the Mount Cook district, Wellington, were deplorable, Mr. .1. L. Stout, S.M., in the 31 agistrate's Court to-day did not think that any excuse tor the plaving of pakapoo, ior ollenee.s 111 connection with which he fincd_ oO men, mostly Chinese, a total ot The charges arose I'roni the biggest raid ever made by the police against pa k a poo dens in Wellington. Led by* Detective-Sergeant \Y, McLennan and Sergeant A. E. Kearton, about (30 uniformed police and detectives raided <'il houses in the Mount Cook area early last night. 18 Fines of £IOO. The body of the Court was filled with Chinese to-dav, when ■ls of them were charged, all pleading guilty. Eighteen of them, who had previous gaming convictions, were each fined .CJOO for keeping common gaming houses. Four with no previous gaining convictions wero each lined £SO for the same offence, and nine with no previous convictions of any sort wero also fined £SO for the same offence. One was fined £SO for assisting in keeping a gaming house, and 13 were each fined £5 for being found ill gaming houses. AH the defendants wero represented bv Mr. Meltzer. Five Europeans each pleaded guilty to being found in gaming houses and were fined £5 each. One | Chinese who was charged with being an assistant keeper and two who were charged with being found in a gaming house were remanded until Friday, as they pleaded not guilty. Problem in Social Reform A number of Europeans will appear later on summons as a result of the raids. "This matter of playing pakapoo is becoming very serious in the Mount Cook area and has assumed vast proportions," said Detective-Sergeant McLennan. Mr. Meltzer said the fact that such a large number of men were charged presented a problem in social reform tor the civic lathers of Wellington that could not be ignored. Certain conditions existing in Wellington were now recognised as scandalous and called for urgent treatment by the civic authorities. There was a danger that the public would associate theso slum conditions with the Chinese themselves. A Growing Evil

"If these proceedings result in some action being taken to give these men better conditions of housing than they have at present it will bo to the good," said counsel, "because I believe if the civic fathers did their duty and improved conditions in this particular locality it would possibly have the effect of giving those men a better outlook 011 life more in keeping with Europeans, and that would discourage them from carrying on this secret gambling." The magistrate said it was obvious the evil was very rampant in Wellington. He did not think that the fact that housing conditions wore deplorable was any excuse. He was sure they would have the evil with them whether housing conditions were good or bad, just the same as they had had opium trouble for many years. Evidently pakapoo was a growing evil and must be put down.