EUCHRE TOURNAMENTS

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10891, 19 July 1928, Page 5

EUCHRE TOURNAMENTS

QUESTION OF PRIZES. Electric Telegraph—Frees Association WELLINGTON Last Night. Euchre tournaments were again referred T.o ill the House to-day mien the Minister of Justice, Hon. F. J. Roffeston, intimated that there was iiotiung in tl:g recent Supreme Court decision to say that a euchre tournament wars illegal unless the circumstances were such a.s to constitute tlio premises where it was held “a common gaming house” within tins meaning ot the Act. The law under which a conviction, was recorded m Christchurch recently said the Alinister, was not a uow one. It was at least 20 years old. What happened in Christchurch was that an enterprising individual rented a hall, charged for admission, and offered cash prizes. Air W. S. Glenn (Rangitikei) : The point then its that you must not play for cash IThe Minister: No. the Act says—- “ Prizes ot money value.” Anything that had a money value would come within the meaning of th© Act. It- is very difficult to lay down a principle as to what is legal or illegal because tlio ci rctunst a ncos in each case must be taken Into consideration. The Alinister of Justice ©r tlio Attorney-Genera! does not want to lay down something which a. Alagiistrate might hold was not illegal. That is the point-. A Alembor: Wliat about scliocl committees r The Minister replied that if the oireumstanoes were such ais to constitute the premises a common gaming house they would be committing ■breach of the Act. When there was any doubt the l>est way out of t!o difficulty would be to seek ndvico from someon© who knew the law on the matter. ATr A. Atinore (Nelson) - The layman would have to go to Court before he found out? The Alinistei ; That would Ik- t’o» only way to determine whether the circumstances constitute a breach. The difficulty of legalising euchre tournaments is that they would ho open to abuse. However, the Government, he added, did not «ish to act liarstly where no harm was hoiiig done.