PUNTERS PERTURBED

Southland Times, Issue 20171, 6 May 1927, Page 7

PUNTERS PERTURBED

BETTING WITH BOOKMAKER.' TEN CONVICTIONS. (Per United Press Association.) Christchurch, May 5. At the Magistrate’s Court to-daj 7 charges were heard against various persons for betting with Alfred Vivian Whitta, who was convicted of being a bookmaker and fined £4OO in March. The cases were practically the first of their kind to be brought in New Zealand. . Mr Mosley, S.M., took a serious view Of the offences, and inflicted penalties ranging from £3 up to £2O and costs, and fixed imprisonment of a substantial nature by way of default or non-compliance with distress warrants. Those convicted and fined were:— G. H. McCrae and Z. Beri £2O and costs, in default two months; C. A. Cuff, £2O, or two months; W. Fricker £3, in default 14 days; J. Halkett £l5, in default one month; D. Ross £l5, or one month; F. G. Hedges £lO, in default one month; J. Ryan £lO, or one month; W. J. Roy, £3; P. F. Thorpj 7 £2O, in default two months. MAGISTRATE’S STRINGENT COMMENT. Christchurch, May 5. Before imposing the penalties the Magistrate said he could not but take into consideration the fact that under the legislation the maximum penalty was fixed at £lOO or six months’ imprisonment. It was nonsense to say a man betting with a bookmaker did not know he was committing an offence. “I cannot disguise the fact from myself that unfortunately within the last day or two the effects of gambling have been brought before this particular Court,” added the Magistrate. “Several men have been ruined, probably their own fault—and have defrauded their employers of large sums of money through betting with bookmakers. I cannot sit on this Court day after daj 7 without recognising the vast amount of evil done to members of the community through gambling.”