WITHIN THE LAW.

Otago Witness, Issue 3754, 23 February 1926, Page 54

WITHIN THE LAW.

GOLD NUGGET RAFFLES. STATEMENT BY MR BOLLARD. WELLINGTON, February 19. Recently the Council of Christian Congregations passed, on the motion:-of the Rev. J. J. North, the following resolution : “That in view of magisterial, statements, which are borne out by high legal opinion, that art unions, as licensed by the Minister of Internal Affairs, are not distinguishable from illegal lotteries, this council urges that the Government should secure a legal opinion as to the art qualities of the gold nuggets with which cupidity and wild extravangance are fostered to a dangerous degree, and with which, if the opinions referred to are valid, the law of the land is being broken.” The resolution was brought to the notice of the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon R. F. Bollard), who said: “I do not think that the Rev. Mr North, when framing his motion, could have read Section 42 of the Gaming Act, 1908. Paragraph 1 of that section provides as follows : “If any person, being the owner of art, or literature, or mineral specimens, or mechanical models applies to the Minister of Internal Affairs for permission to dispose of the same by raffle or chance, the said Minister may, if he thinks fit, grant a license for that purpose, subject to such conditions and restrictions as he thinks right to impose.” “It will therefore be seen,” added Mr Bollard, “that licenses issued for art unions, the prizes for -which are gold nuggets, are within the statutory provision I have quoted.”