PLAYING OF PAKAPOO

PLAYING OF PAKAPOO RAIDS ON FOUR HOUSES SEVEN CHINESE CONVICTED TOTAL OF £197 IN FINES The simultaneous raids conducted last Friday evening on four premises in the city, by squads of uniformed police under Sub-Inspector Scott, Senior-Sergeant Joyce and Sergeants Uissett and Doel, led to the appearance of seven Chipeso before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday, on charges concerning the playing of pakapoo. Convictions wore entered in all cases, fines totalling £197 being imposed. Most of the accused pleaded guilty. In one case in which one man denied a charge of assisting in the management of a common gaining house, the police produced evidence that a constable in plain clothes had been assigned to purchase pakapoo tickets about the city. He had noticed the accused on the premises on one occasion, when gaming material was visible. His purchases of tickets were made prior to the raids conducted by the police. Mr. West, defending the man concerned, emphasised the need of sufficient proof to support a charge of assisting in the management. His client was a fruiterer, and it was submitted on his behalf that he was a resident on the premises who took no part in the gaming. Counsel suggested that the small amount of pakapoo played on the premises to which he referred did not seriously affect the State monopoly concerning gambling. It could be said for the operator of the premises that he prevented persons apparently under age from playing on the premises. Complaints from Women Tho Magistrate: The trouble is tho number of complaints received from women, many of them the wives of relief workers, that their husbands are spending money on pakapoo. Mr. Tong, appearing for other accused, argued that tho offences would continue so long as pakapoo retained its present status. He suggested that there was a paradox in the great amount of legalised gambling and the playing of pakapoo, in which small amounts were involved. "We have two leading newspapers advocating the reform of the gaming laws," he stated. Tho Magistrate: But no one advocates the running of a gaming house. Counsel said the human element was worthy of consideration, especially in regard to tho outlet for the instinct to gamble. The Chinese were selling tickets for 6d, and if the Europeans who had been found on the premises did not play the small games there they would no doubt spend their money at the races. Tho magistrate said it was apparent that several "banks" were dfawn daily. The common idea was that tho police persecuted the Chinese. If a person spent 6d a week it would not matter so much, but the customers did not confine themselves to such a small expenditure. "Tickets in Hotel Bars*' "They do not keep to their premises," stated Sub-Inspector Scott. They arc going with these tickets into tho hotel bars and on to the waterfront. Higher prices than 6d are often paid for the tickets." The accused, the charges against them, and the penalties imposed, were as follows:—WongyHum, laundryman, aged 45, using premises at 184 Hobsoo Street as a common gaming house, £IOO, in default three months' imprisonment; Wong Chong, fruiterer, aged 40, assisting in the management of the premises, £lO, or a month'* imprisonment; Chong Jack Kow. fruiterer, aged 45, using premises at 40 Pitt Street as a common gaming house,. £25, or two months' imprisonment; Ming Lai, laundryman, aged 50, using premises at 91 Grey's Avenue as a common gaming house, £25, or two months' imprisonment; Wong Yin, laundryman, aged 73, assisting in the management, £2, or seven davs' imprisonment; Kung Yum, laundryman. aged 59, using premises at 57 Avenue as a common gaming house, £25. or two months' imprisonment; Ah Wong, retired aged 56, assisting in the management, £lO, or a month's imprisonment. New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22077, 5 April 1935, Page 14 http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZH19350405.2.145&srpos=96&e=-------100--1----0chong+fruiterer--