POSSESSION OF FIREARMS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18465, 28 January 1922, Page 14

POSSESSION OF FIREARMS

AMENDMENTS TO THE LAW. (From Odb Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, January 27. Various minor amendments to the Anns Act of last year are contained in the Amending Bill introduced in the House of Representatives to-day. The Minister of Defence is authorised to grant a license permitting any person who served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force or a near relative to retain possession of unlawful weapons which have been used overseas during the war, or brought from overseas. The Bill proposed to widen this so that- any person who has served in his Majesty’s forces m any war may bo given a similar license, while the Minister is tobeallowed discretion to grant such a license to any person ho may think fit under the present law. A licensed dealer does not require a special permit to purchase or otherwise obtain firearms. The Bill proposes that licensed dealers shall still be free to import firearms, ammunition, or explosives, but shall require a permit to purchase or obtain them within New Zealand. However, general permits are to bo given to licensed dealers. The permit to purchase given to a private individual lasts only for six days. The permits to purchase within New Zealand to be given to licensed dealers are to last for tho same term as tho license, or for a term to be specified in the permit. Where explosives are to b© used for mining, quarrying, tunnelling, or excavating the person in charge of the work is to have a permit to obtain them, but the workmen using them will not bo required to have a permit to obtain supplies. Tho holder of the permit, however, is .to keep a record of the explosives he issues for the work in hand. The term of the permit is to be that specified in it, or it is to last during tho continuance of the work for which it is issued. Defence rifle clubs which are approved by the Commissioner of Police are to bo authorised to obtain from the Minister of Defence, without permit, ammunition for the use of their members on rifle ranges. They must not supply it to any other persons, and must keep a record of that issued. The present Act allows any porsqp to bo in_ possession of a firearm for one month without registering. That term is reduced to seven days. The Commissioner of Police is to bo empowered by regulation to issue Gazette notices making it. lawful for ammunition for sporting rifles of a calibre not exceeding 22 to be obtained without permit. It is also to be enacted that the provisions of the_ principal Act may, by Order-in-Council, be made to apply to guns or pistols of any calibre _ which are not firearms. Thus the requirements of the principal Act may be applied to air guns.