DEALING IN EXPLOSIVES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 215, 11 September 1925, Page 6

DEALING IN EXPLOSIVES.

A MAGISTRATE'S WARNING. SEVERE FINES THREATENED. An important judgment was given at the Police Court this morning by Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., in the recent cases'! Police v. Winstone and Police v. Harrison, in which the defendants -were i charged under the Arms Act, 1920, with having dealt in explosives without permits. "The accused, Winstone," said the S.M., "is a director of a large company which has several quarries working and which consume large quantities of explosives. Harrison was once working for the company, hut at the time of the charge was a contractor and does not come within the meaning of 'workman" referred to in section 6 of the Amending Act of 1921. "As the explosives were sold to him without a permit and he had none to i purchase them, both he and the seller are liable. What, would there be to prevent the sale of unlimited quantities to such a person and the distribution by him of such amongst burglars and communists if a permit were not required in such cases? The object of i the restrictions on such sales is to keep ' a record of such dangerous goods, so I that they will be used for lawful purposes only, and it would be quite futile I trying to enforce the provisions of the i Act if such loopholes were left open. As accused, Winstone, acted only for the j company there will be no objection to ! the amendment of the information, i omitting his name and inserting that of j the company. Each will be fined £5 and ordered to pay costs. "In future such breaches will be severely dealt with as there appears to be much laxity with regard to the proper care of explosives."