Appeal To Ombudsman

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30201, 5 August 1963, Page 10

Appeal To Ombudsman

(N.Z. Press Association) WANGANUI, August 4

An appeal would be made to the Ombudsman (Sir Guy Powles) if any effort was made by the Department of Internal Affairs to confiscate toy rockets from Wanganui schoolboys, said a spokesman for Rockets, Inc., a syndicate of Wanganui Technical College pupils interested in firing toy rockets.

He was commenting on a newspaper report that the deputy chief inspector of explosive* for the department (Mr C. G. Luchlin) had said he was not sure if the roc-

kets should not be confiscated.

Earlier the boys had been told that an Internal Affairs Department representative would visit the city between August 13 and August 16. He would supervise the launching of the boys' rockets as they used up their remaining fuel capsules. If they did not wish to do this the rockets would have to be destroyed. Rockets, Inc., had written to the department protesting against its ruling and requesting permission to continue firings.

There are two 12in toy rockets involved in the dispute and one smaller one. The members of Rockets. Inc., and another boy, Andrew Robertson, aged 15 have about seven firing capsules left.

Mrs J. D. Robertson, Andrew’s mother, said she would support her son in any approach to Sir Guy Powles.

“The whole thing is rather idiotic,” she said. When advised of the supervised firing, the boys were told not to tell the newspapers about it. Andrew incurred the department’s displeasure last week when he blasted his toy rocket Apogee off Wanganui airport. The rocket had been imported in kitset form. Doubt was raised yesterday as to whettier the boys are in fact in breach of the Explosives Act provision regarding the manufacture of explosive* in firing their rockets.

One legal authority said, “They would have to stretch the act pretty far to cover that and I don’t think the section is quite as elastic as that”

Last night, the member of Parliament for Wanganui. Mr G. A. Spooner, said the boys' decision to appeal to the Ombudsman was a wise one. He asked to be kept informed.