NO SKILL REQUIRED.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14474, 1 October 1912, Page 2

NO SKILL REQUIRED.

CANDLE-BUItNIXG COMPETITION

(SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") • DUNEDIN, September 30. Judgment was given to-day in a novel guessing competition case againsi a shopkeeper. The main point was that a purchaser had to purchase 10» worth of goods before he was allowed what was termed a free guess as to how long an extraordinary candle wouid burn. ■ ■ ■ • - Mr Bedford, for the defendant, raised the point that the competition ' was in no way a game of chance, and further pointed out that as the comI>etitors stood to lose nothing, it could not bo called « lottery. The Magistrate said:—"ln my opinion no offence has been proved either under section 39 or section 62 of the Gaming Act, 1903. The authorities cited by Mr Bedford show that this was not a lottery, or a game of chance, ■ and is not within the mischief sought to bo prohibited by tho Gaming Act;. Tho answer to tho problem how long a candle would burn might havo been calculated exactly by any person of skill who took the trouble to acquire the necessary data and made a calculation. That tho competitors probably chose to wildly guess the answer would not make it a game of chance. A child might, on being asked what twelve times thirteen is, wildly guess the answer, but that would not turn' the question into a lottery or a game of chance. Both informations would be dismissed."