AUCTIONEERS' LICENSES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 231, 23 June 1908, Page 8

AUCTIONEERS' LICENSES.

DEFECTS IN THE ACT. PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. Under tho present Auctioneers Act, a firm wishing to take out an auctioneer's license must do so in the namo of tho employee, and immediately the same is issued, it becomes, according to tho interpretation of tho Act, tho personal property of the individual. Notwithstanding that tho cost of such license is borno by tho firm, it has no control whatever as to how or by whom it shall bo used. An employer is thus placed absolutely at the mercy of an unscrupulous employee. As tho law stands, it is quite competent for an auctioneer, after having left the service of a firm,' deliberately' to take advantage of the flaw in the Act to appropriate, to his own personal use, tho license that had been taken out ill his name. This would leave no alternative but for tlio nrm to take out an additional license, which might in turn possibly meet with a--similar tatc. it is obvious that this was not the lutention of Legislature. As a remedy is suggested that the Act bo amciidecLso as to-permit the liccnsa to be issued in tho name of the firm, which shall from-time to time, and under certain conditions, nominbo used PCISOII whom tho license shall

The foregoing facts were represented in a letter signed by Mr. A. Leigh Hunt, of tho farmers Fruit and Produce Market, which iort r °fn f! tercla y at a meeting of auctioneers called .-o consider tho question of obtaining an alteration in the law. About a dozen firms were represented, and tho Hon; 1. Kennedy Macdonald was-voted to the

Mr. Leigh Hunt said that the Act J which wao onco very elective, had become obsosee™cd to conceive that' every auctioneer was tho proprietor of- bis business; wrnnl w } l? r ° l .l Eo, l thero 1V0 " Id bs notlli nS B tho law. As tbo Act stood, transfers of licenses could be granted only d strict Ul h,,t° tl alth ° r abscuce from tho district, but there were many other occasions on which transfers were required. At present an auctioneer leaving tho service of a firm could. not transfer the license to anothor nominee if ho wishod, unless he was leaving the district or in' ill-health. If a firm took out a license for a certain emquestion would v ? was UO P equivalent to gnmg, him . a years' engagement. Ha thought that it would bo better for a deputation to. wait upon the' Minister than to promote a private .Bill. - Letters had been receded from eigateen local firms, agreeing tlw need for amended legislation. lr "t 31 - 1 , Sa £ that Ihere was a great deal in Mr. Leigh Hunt's obsorvatious. The question of transfer also arose in the case of a business conducted by two partners. If ™ifl Pa. rfc ner eft, he could take the license w- 1 " so , lt; to sfcart an opposition business across the way, although the license had been purchased with partnership funds. Tho Act was' passed 17 years ago, and was now full of defects. He thought that-before the Minister was approached, a committee should be appointed oo draw up a definite statement of the amendments required for approval bv a future meeting Tho deputation would then oo Jiblo to make definite requests. Mr. F. Townsend brought up another gnovaneo. Some years ago a man to whom tho City Council had refused a license because did not consider him a suitable person to hold one, had obtained a license ■rop l neighbouring .borough' council, with carr ' e ! i on business in the city. . Chairman said that- a be inserted in the 'Act, compelling applicants tor a license to. make a declaration, that no previous application- had been refused. Tho I local body to which they applied could then oxcrciso its discretion as to whether it should grant the liconso. j Mr. Townsend also thought that it was unfair to old-established firms paying Tatcs and taxes that half-yearly, or' quarterly licenses should be granted to newcomers at .proportional rates. He..thought that people whb anplied for licensee in the middle of the year should be required to pay the full annual charge. .

The Chairman agreed \rith this contention. Iho following committee was appointed to dratt recommendations for amended legislation, and report to another meeting of auctioneers next. MondavMessrs. W H Mor rnh.■ Hsrdmfln, A.. Leigh Hunt, S. Haromirt, I'. lownsend, Horace Baker and the Chairman. ' •