THE LURE OP THE POPPY

NZ Truth, Issue 854, 1 April 1922, Page 5

THE LURE OP THE POPPY

MORE DREAM DOPERS DRYDOCKED.

Campaign Against Wellington' Chows Continues.

Controller of Customs E. R. Brabazon is becoming a familiar figure m the People's Court these days, and each time he appears lie helps. to extract a tidy sum for the revenue from some opium-smoking Chinaman. Monday last saw Ah Lye, a HAGGARD-LOOKING. CELESTIAL, climb into the dock at the Magistrate's Court on charges of smoking opium and having ±he dope m his possession. When charged m his native lingo, Lye entered into a long explanation, which, when boiled doiwn by the interpreter, amounted to an admission of smoking — "on account of his health" — and a denial of possession. Plain- Clothes Constable Thorn, m the witness-box, told Magistrate Hunt all about it. It turned out that the constable deemed it advisable to " pay a little surprise visit to- No. 3 Hainingstre'et. He went m unannounced and found Lye, who never (was fond of company, lying on a 'bed DREAMING PEACEABLY of Chinese fairies and his chances of breaking' the next pak-a-pau bank.' An investigation revealed a of opium hiding m one of Lye's boots. This -was enough for the Beak, who reckoned that the wily Celestial ought to pay £10 for the pleasure of smoking fhe opium and another twenty-five flimsies for 'having the dope about the place. On Friday last another dopey rooster claimed the attention of the court m the Celestial person of Bah Toy alias Bah Toi (no relation to San of that ilk). . . Bah was collected as the result of a raid on a Chinese meeting .house m Vivian -street. There was a choice, eo-.-lection of Chows on the premises when the 'police dropped m, but none of them would admit being the owner or occupier. The accused was dug out of a room, where he lay all on his little lonesome m A BExVUTIFUL DOPE DREAM. 'Tec. Nu'ttall reckoned that he had not properly come out of the opium coma when he arrived at the police station. A complete opium-smoking outfit was found, the pipe being still warm when the police raided. Lawyer Jackson tried hard to convince Magistrate Hunt that the' prosecution had not established a caseCounsel reckoned that at most there might be a "STRONG SUSPICION)'. His Worship looked sideways at the accused and sceptically at counsel, as he entered up a £10 ..fine against accused for smoking opium and a conviction for having it m his possession.

"Legislation can never deal successfully with the subtleties of trade," declares a .commercial ■sfheet. P'raps not. But then, neither -.can the police with burglary. (But they keep on trying.