SALE OF FIREWORKS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 71, 7 March 1930, Page 8

SALE OF FIREWORKS

VENDORS’ VIEWS ON RESTRICTIONS. NEW ORDER ALREADY PLACED Vendors of fireworks in Hastings are perturbed over the Government s decision to impose the restrictions of the Arms Act on their sale. Interviewed yesterday a number stated that the embargo left them in a state of indecision. Orders, necessarily, had been placed and the question was whether they should be cancelled.

One vendor, who has £250 involved, said that he dealt principally in English fireworks, which were mainly of a spectacular nature. Every variety was distinctly labelled and the instructions were clear and precise. They had little explosive power. Still, he expected that these would come under tho operation of tho Act, for the definition of “explosive” in law was far-reaching. He dealt, to a small extent, in Chinese fireworks, which were not so careful.? labelled. The greater portion of the latter were the ordinary “penny crackers” and the larger “bombs.” It was these bombs which caused the accidents which lad to the now regulations for restriction of sales. “It will be detrimental to our business if only adults are to buy the fireworks,” he said. “There are not many parents who will take the trouble to buy fireworks if they have to sign for them. Half of tho children's fun is in spending their pennies. Their eager faces, and envious eyes, as they crowd round the counter making their purchases are indicative of their pleasure.”

He admitted that in the Homo Country no sales could bo made to children under 13 years of age, but ho pointed out that even in the smallest villages there were organised pyrotechnic displays, such as are seldom witnessed in New Zealand. Where there are those displays, all that the children require are a few pennies to buv paekets of throwdowns and small crackers. Not many parents were prepared to go into a shop and ask for “a packet of throwdowns” or “a bundle of small crackers.” The fact that several warehouses held big stocks was mentioned. Last year a boat-load of fireworks arrived too late for the November celebrations. Consequently these were held for the coming season. The rostilotions would have a serious effect on the sale of this stock. He know of a Palmerston North firm -..hat had on hand over £lOOO worth cf fireworks. One Chinese retailer said that ho imported directlv from China end intended to curtail his supply.