NO RESTRICTION ON MINIATURE MEDALS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 72, 16 June 1927, Page 16

NO RESTRICTION ON MINIATURE MEDALS

PROTEST FROM SOLDIERS DEFENCE MINISTER’S REPLY (From Our Resident Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. The unrestricted sale of miniature war njedals recently formed the subject of a protest to the Minister of Defence by the Napier Returned Soldiers’ Association. This body considered that miniatures were being worn by unauthorised persons and that the sale should be made only through the proper authorities. The Minister, the Hon. F. J. Rolleston, has now made a statement that the wearing of military decorations or ribbons, or ones so nearly resembling them as to be calculated to deceive, is an offence under section 7 of the Police Offences Act, and is punishable bv imprisonment or fine. Miniatures arc not mentioned in the section because they are not decorations or medals issued by military or naval authorities. It is known that the sale of miniature decorations or medals is not restricted in other parts of the Empire ,and that they may be obtained from private firms, states the Minister. There is also nothing to prevent any person in New Zealand from purchasing these miniatures in other parts of the Empire. The Defence Department takes every reasonable precaution to restrict the sale of miniature medals and medal-ribbons to authorised persons, and in some cases purchasers have been obliged to produce proof of having been awarded certain medals. It has not been the experience of the department that many people are so unscrupulous as to wear medals to which they are not entitled, and it is considered that the legislation at present existing is sufficient to prevent anv such abuse.

It must not be overlooked that the Defence Department has no record of medals awarded to soldiers who served with other than New Zealand forces. ar »d that in many bona fide cases purchasers of miniature medals or ribbons have no ready proof of their being in possession of the regulation issue of medals concerned. The Minister requests the Returned Soldiers’ Association to bring to the notice of local Defence authorities any cases where they believe an offence has been committed.