AUCTIONEERING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 238, 1 July 1908, Page 9

AUCTIONEERING.

• 'S.TTO^. l DEPUTATiON TO DR. FINDLAY. ' AMENDING HILL CONDITIONALLY ' ; PfiOMISJCD., ; 1 A deputation represcntingrfthb.'auctioneers: > of different parts : of NcwrdZoalands waited i upon the Minister for Iht'ernaKA'ffairs:;(Hon.i, Dr. I'indlay) yesterday -to: "ask r> tho Government to bring; dawn?during ' the present session aßill..to vamendivth'o tioneers' Act. The prMclpaWmendinon'ts' desired wore set ; out iinThe" Dominion ■ yesterday morning. The deputation was intra-' M L G ' ' T. "Kennedy Macdonald, The Minister,' in . >{&& % had not had an- opportunity; ;of'cpnsidorm" tho requests beforehand, and the'reforo could not give a matured opmion-at- present. He knew as a lawyer that the law relating to auctioneers was not a thiilg'yf-recgnt'gi'owth. It was a complicated and'spMial-'depaiWdhfr of'law, and it recognis'ed^thy-pririciple'tladt l the. business of an auctioneer demanded certain amount of persoii&l fitnesSS- ; Aeco'fd- : ' ingly,'the local body, in a had to agree that tho"'aOTlirant^was rt, a'-fit ' person. This was m-the'"ihte:fCst .'"ifiaii\ly r of the public, but.also*of -'tho-'-anctioneoS 3 - The proposals of the deputation would," hbwi"evor, leave the public witliotft' &ny ? guaraiite'oas to tho personal fitness T bf- , '^uctaoneerß' v since it was suggostedi-'that■ any- coniorata company should have th'o ; riglit : 'to"'hold'-a r l ice ? s °, n " d a ,PP? int fflfe $ - employees ' to fulfil the duties; of would, give unlimited : power *t6'J companies l or (inns',- and though ho 'wmUd-ynbt'suggeSjt' that abuses would bo comtrion, yet 'ikk Gov-' eminent must protect unusual; eases, and something.' u fl -; added to tho proposals with, that obibct? ' ' Colonel Gorton: Quite'so.' : h-?-*:::':*;: rw The Minister wont on to deaPwith 'a demand for exempting employees ciikaircd' itf 1 selling as from tiio operation'of Clauses 18 to 20 of tlio and making those clauses'apply only to r tli<y persons or firms omploying'tliem.: : ted oiit that those clauses wero-'penal J imposing upon auctioneers* ccr-' i tain obligations, such as' to furnish atcoimt*- i salos within' li days and to": dfeal with" th'o 1 proceeds of sales m specified wiys. : A pen" '« alty was also' provided' for ' tho-fraudulent i conversion* of money tb,:thes iiiso of tho' auo.' i tioneer, and tlioro wcro other' similnr- '< visions; It was . suggested that all tho'so- i obligations should he thrown'•'iipon the cm- c ployer, but how could they, put a corporate 1 company/into'gaol?" ; 1 -' ' J * j fl r * Macdoiuild:'Wo liavo recbs- J rnsed that from the beciwring, and are v

quite ready to accept anything required t< conserve the interests of the public. Minister further said he recognised pnat tho Act was somewhat antiquated. He womd carefully consider the requests made, ?*?f! 4 J 1 ?, thought they could bo complied ly 1 ' 1 ?' ™ust properly safeguarding the public interest, he would recommend the Cabinet to that effect. . Ho could not say de- < iimteljj whether it would bo possible to bring H 1 an amending Dill this session; but lie . thought the deputation had made out a very : good case on the whole. With regard to a complaint by Colonel borton that auctioneers were liable to suffer serious -losses, i.througli. purchasers being allowed to place an offset against auctioneers accounts, as had occurred in a recent case. in. this district, tlio .Minister promised to look into the" matter. '