RETURNED OPOSSUM SKINS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18335, 1 March 1934, Page 7

RETURNED OPOSSUM SKINS

:'<>! • no . ■ ■*" J Minister explains * NO LEGAL ALTERNATIVE (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The reason why lie had returned to the purchasers opossum skins taken by an illegal method, an action to which considerable exception was taken at a recent meeting of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, were given by the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. J. A. Young, when defending what he had done before a deputation from the society which waited upon the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G.. W. Forbes, yesterday afternoonMr. Young said he was advised to act as he had by the legal advisers to the Crown, and had informed the secretary of the society of this fact in the belief that it would be passed on to members of the council.

Mr. Young said the skins had been returned to the brokers after the whole matter and files dealing with the question had been referred to the Crown Law Office, which had advised that, in the circumstances, there was no authority for the confiscation of skins. In the face of that advice he had to act accordingly. He was not prepared to put his views up against that of the Government’s legal advisers. The Minister said the persons who owned, and who were in possession of the skins, had not been prosecuted by the society, and had not been convicted. Therefore, there could be no confiscation of the skins.

A member of the deputation said that as a result of the.intervention of the holidays, the society had missed by a few hours the time in which a prosecution of the nature could be launched. *

Mr Forbes said it was recognised that the acclimatisation societies were doing good work, and the Government and Minister were out to do their best by them.