TOTE TICKET FOR BOY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18444, 30 March 1922, Page 9

TOTE TICKET FOR BOY.

RACING PROSECUTION. FINE OF £lO IMPOSED. A totalisator hand, Allan John McGregor, of Auckland, appeared at the Magistrate’s Court, Hamilton, on Monday morning, charged with selling a totalisator ticket to a boy under the age of 21 years on the first day of the recent Hamilton races. Mr E. H. Northcroft appeared for the defendant and entered a plea of guilty. The facts, as reported by the N.Z. Herald’s correspondent, showed that a youth of 18 years went up to the 10s totalisator and procured a ticket. The boy was at the time dressed in a cadet uniform, and it was quite apparent that he was under the prescribed age limit. It was ascertaintained that McGregor bad issued the ticket and he admitted doing so. Mr Northcroft in asking for lenient treatment stated that the circumstances mentioned in a recent case applied with equal force here. Amid the rush and pressure of business the totalisator clerks were kept at a continual strain, and it was extremely difficult for them to keep the very vigilant look-out for “infants” necessary to ensure that no youthful investors were served. McGregor, continued Mr Northcroft, was in a very bad way, having been out of work for some time. Like many other totalisator clerks the defendant had taken up the work to help him out of his financial difficulties. Mr H. A.. Young, S.M., said apparently the legislature viewed the offence of totalisator employees issuing tickets to juveniles in a very serious light, for a penalty of £lOO was prescribed or three months’ imprisonment without the option of a fine. In the present case it would be sufficient if defendant was fined £lO and ordered to pay the costs. ‘