A STOLEN BICYCLE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 112, 14 May 1927, Page 8

A STOLEN BICYCLE.

My wito and I have had a hearty laugh over your reporter's ingenious and "fanciful report of the Police Court proceedings this morning ro a stolen bicycle. It really is too funny! However, I must correct the state, mcnt that I "went on to read the various sections (of the New Zealand Statutes) givhi" tlio numbers and quotations of each." It was my intention to read section 2o of "The Sale of Goods Act," which states: "Where the seller of goods has a voidable title thereto, hut hij title has not been avoided at the time of tho sale, the buyer acquires a good title to the goods, provided he buys them in good faith and without notice of the seller's defect ot title," but was not allowed to do sol The Superintendent of Police wrote directing me to section 2t> (1) of the same Act, and section 14 of the Second-hand Dealers Act. But neither of these applies to the case, for tho offender has not been "prosecuted to conviction,'' as the former requires; nor has it been shown that the article had "been unlawfully sold or exchanged," as the latter requires, Your readers will draw their own conclusions, "Market overt" has 110 direct bearing on the case. The English law and usage defiuing this expression is ultra vires in New Zealand. What the Xew Zealand Statutes state on tho subject I could have told the Court. Tho nontechnical sense in which I employed the terms was perfectly legitimate. If any of your readers can prove the contrary, let him do so. It was our wish that Evins should reccivc the bicycle if satisfactorily identified, and, had the decision been in our favour, we had agreed to turn it over to him. J. G. HUGHES.