LOTTERY ESTABLISHED ON RESULTS OF GENERAL ELECTION

Wanganui Chronicle, 3 December 1946, Page 7

LOTTERY ESTABLISHED ON RESULTS OF GENERAL ELECTION

TWO MEN BEFORE COURT A lottery established in Wanganui on the results of the General Election led to the appearance of two men in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, a line of io being imposed m each case by Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.M. Ralph 1-arlridge admitted that on or about Novemoer 20, last, he established a lottery or scheme by which prizes or money were competed for by moue of chance, and Artnur Gurney pleaded guilty to a charge of disposing of tickets in an illegal raifle. “lour operations were limited, and might even be called petty,” said the magistrate, commenting that the Gaming Act'provided a maximum penalty oi I2UU for offences of this nature. Detective-Sergeant H. A. Hay, who prosecuted, tola lire Court that the nrst named deienoant was unable to work at present because oi a poisoneu leg. He was an ardent supporter of a political party and thought: he could augment the party's tunas by establisning a lottery on the results of the General Election. He purchased printed books of tickets, 25 being in each packet, which were to be sold at Is each. Each ticket had a printed number which bo.e a relation to the election results, the scheme providing for several prizes in money. Partridge had said, however, they would obtain no financial benefit. After expenses were paid all money would go to the party. On the afternoon of November 26, Mr. Hay added, Detective L. B. Vasta saw Gurney trying to dispose of some of these tickets in a city hotel. The detective purchased one for Is and subsequently disclosed his identity. Both Partridge and Gurney were frank about the matter when interviewed by lhe police. The magistrate: How is it that these tickets come to be printed? Can anybody purchase them? Mr. Hay: I would think that some arrangements would have to be made for printing, but we have no information on that point at the moment. All tickets are sealed and lhe number is inside. The first named defendant said he was not in this for any gain. “It will be a financial loss to me,’’ he added. The magistrate: I take it that these operations would not be heavy? Mr. Hay: Not as far as I know. Defendant said that no individual was out to make a profit. All the person selling the ticket received was three free tickets in every 25. The magistrate: I suppose they had in mind some idea of helping a cause. Partridge: That is so. The magistrate commented that the Act regarded this as a serious matter, but in the present case lie did not think a heavy penalty was called lor. When Partridge asked for suppres. sion of his name, the magistrate said he could not grant the request. “If 1 did so,” he added, "I would have to suppress all names in these cases. But there is nothing dishonest in your action and there is no reflection on you in any way. You broke the gaming laws, that is all.’’