THE ARMS ACT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10849, 15 March 1921, Page 3

THE ARMS ACT

SALES BY DEALERS. “AN UNNECESSARY RESTRICTION.” In respect to the Arms Act, 1920, the Wellington Chamber of. Commerce has forwarded the following letter' to the S uperintendent of Police: — “I have been instructed by my council to inquire from you in what manner your department proposes under the Arms Act and its regulations to deal with transactions in the ordinary course of business in firearms, ammunition and explosives between dealers duly licensed under the Act.

“Clause 7 (1) of the Act states that no person other than a lioensed dealef shall, by purchase or otherwise, procure possession of ammunition, etc., except in pursuance pf a permit issued by an officer of the police. Sub-section 2 of clause 7 states that no person by way of sale ot by any other manner shall deliver possession of any firearm, ammunition, or explosives, to any person other than a person who is entitled to obtain firearms, etc., by virtue of a permit. Clause 11 (1) states that it shall not be lawful foT any person to sell, offer for sale, pr have in his possession for sale in the way of his business, any firearms, ammunition, or explosives, unless he is the holder of a dealer’s license. 1

“Some apprehension is existing in business circles as to the meaning .of these clauses. On reading the clauses it would appear that it is not possible for a licensed dealer in ammunition to sell to another lioensed dealer unless the latter obtains a permit for- each transaction. If this iB. the,meaning of the clauses it is felt that an unnecessary restriction on the ordinary course of business is being imposed. Under the Act, as it stands, the first-mention-ed dealer would require to keep a record of his sales, and the secondmentioned dealer would require to keep a recoKjl of bis sales, and only sell to such persons as had obtained permits. “The chamber has instructed me respectfully to suggest either that a reigulatiofi should be brought down to permit of tho free sale of firearms, ammunition and explosives as between dealers, or that a general permit should be granted to dealers permitting them to sell to other licensed dealers during the currency of the license without the necessity cf obtaining a permit for each transaction.—(Signed), H. D. Vickery, secretary.”