EUCHRE PRIZES
WHEN' TOURNEYS ARE ILLEGAL
MINISTER EXPLAINS LEGAL; DIFFICULTIES.
WELLINGTON, July 18.
Replying to Mr E. J. Howard in the House of Representatives, the Minister for Justice (the Hon Mr Rolleston) to-day stated that there was nothing in the recent Supreme Court decision to say that a euchre tournament was illegal unless the circumstances were such as to constitute the premises where it was held a. “common gaminghouse” within the meaning of the Gaining Act, 190 S. The matter was under consideration. The law tinder which a conviction was recorded in Christchurch recently, said the Minister, was not a new one. It was at least twenty years old.. What happened in Christchurch was that an enterprising individual rented a hall, charged for admission and offered cash prizes. Mr W. S. Glenn (Rangitikei): The point, then is that you must not play for cash ?
The Minister: No. The Act says “prizes o'f money value.” Anything that had a money value would come’ within the meaning of the Act. It is very difficult to lay down a principle as to what is legal or illegal because the circumstances in each ease must he taken' into Consideration. The Minister for Justice or the AttorneyGeneral docs not want to lay down something which a Magistrate might hold was not illegal. That is the point. A member: What about a school committee 1 Tlie Minister replied that if tho circumstances were such as to constitute the premises a common gaming-house they would be committing a breach of the. Act. When there was any doubt the best way out of the difficulty would be to seek advice from someone who knew the how'on the matter.
Mr H. Atmore (Nelson): The layman would have to go to Court before lie was found out? The Minister: That would be the only wav. to determine whether the circumstances constituted a breach. The difficulty of legalising euchre tournaments is that they would bo open to abuse. However, the Government, he added, did not wish to act harshly where no harm Was being done.
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Hokitika Guardian, 20 July 1928, Page 4
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344EUCHRE PRIZES Hokitika Guardian, 20 July 1928, Page 4
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