SECRET COMMISSIONS BILL.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5569, 28 October 1910, Page 3

SECRET COMMISSIONS BILL.

The Secret Commissions Bill, the chief object of which, ia to reader illegal the practice of agents in accepting secret commissions from third persona in respect of business of the priuciials, was debated in the House of Repres uta'ive3 last Thursday evening. The Bill had beeu rf ad a second time pro forma, aud was reported upon by a Select Committee. Sir Joseph Ward said he wished to pcint out the impatance of preventing secret commissions being arranged between individual. The Bill sought to make illegal the system of secret commissions, which operated iv this country to a very large ex'ent. Somewhat similar legislation had been passed in England and Australia, and the Bill embodied the bsst features of each. The Bill made it an offence on the part of anyone to accept secret tommissions from another parly. Mr Taylor asked about primages. Sir Joseph said primages c v.d not bo included— thoy were n^t secret commi«.si"us iv any sin. eoi ttie term. The Bill also dealt with the system of false invoice--. There were many ways m which secret commissions could be urraii«edj and in order to ensure that legifmate commission might not be attacked, it was provided that jio action could be taken without the cors nt of the Attorney-General. He was confident that it was necessary to have a law of this kind outhe Statute-book to ensure fair tradng. ' . Mr Herries saii the measure was a technical one, the objections to which c'-ulil '«» better stated in committee. The main difficulty, he thought, W0!ilil be in respect of tho detiuition of agent. He agreed it was desirable that a Bi.ll'of the kind shou'.d be introduced, but he thought many defects would have to be rerteMr A. "W. Hogg was pleased that the Bill had been iutrodu. e'. It could be amended, and in time it would bscomj a very useful measure. . , The committal of the BUI was agreed to on the voices.