Possession of Firearms.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 January 1922, Page 4

Possession of Firearms.

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO . LAW. i WELLINGTON, Jan 28. | ’ Vax ion os minor amendments to the j Arms Act of last year are contained in the amending Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives today. The Minister of Defence is authorised to grant a license permitting any person who served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, or a. near relativeto retain possession of unlawful weapons which have been used overseas during the war, or brought from overseas. The Bill proposes to widen this, so that any person who has served in his Majesty’s Forces in any Avar may he | given iv similar license, while the Min-' ister is to be allowed discretion to grant such a license to any person he may think fit. Under the present law,a licensed dealer does not require a special permit to purchase or otherwise obtain firearms. The Bill proposes that licensed dealers shall bo free to import firearms, ammunition ,or evplosiyes, but shall require a perpiit to purchase or obtain them within New Zealand. However, general permits are to be given to I licensed dealers.

The permit to purchase given to a private individual lasts only for six days, lyjie' permits to purchase within New Zealand to be given to licensed dealers are to last for the same term as the license, or for a term to be specified in the permit. explosives are to be nsed for mining, qualifying, tunnelling, op excavatin'', the person in charge of the work is to have a permit t» obtain them, but the workmen using them will not Ik? required to have a, permit to obtain supplies. The holder of the permit, however, is to keep a record of t|ie explosives he issues for the work in hand. The term of the permit is to he that specified) in it, or it isi to last during the continuance of the work for which it is issued.

Defence rifle clubs approved by the Commissioner of Police are to be authorised to obtain from the Minister of Defence, without permit, ammunition for the use of their members on rifle rnifiges. They must not supply it to any other persons, and must keep a- record of that issued.

The present Act allows any person to lie in possession of a firearm for on e month without registering. That term is to he reduced to seven days. The Commissioner of Police is to lie empowered by regulation to issue gazette notices making it lawful for a,inmunition for sporting rifles of a calibre not exceeding .22 to be obtained without permit. It is also to be enacted that the provisions of the principal Act may, hy Order-in-Couneil, he made to apply to guns or pistols or any oalibre which are nto firearms. Thus, the requirements of the principal Act may be applied to air-guns.