PURCHASE OF GOLD

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 48, 19 November 1932, Page 9

PURCHASE OF GOLD

Dealers and the License SUPREME COURT DECISION By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wanganui, Nov. 17. A reserved judgment of Mr. Justice Reed delivered in the Supreme Court this afternoon upheld the appeal of John Walsh, detective, against the 'decision of Mr. J. H. Salmon, S.MI, in respect to information laid by the police against a man who was dealing in second-hand gold. The contention of the appellant was that if the decision of the magistrate was correct and people were allowed to purchase gold without a license under the Second-hand Dealers Act, thieves would be afforded facilities to get rid of ill-gotten gains. ' His Honour’s judgment points out that the Act of 1908 is a consolidation of the Act of 1902. In arriving at his decision to uphold the appeal be has 'reviewed two important sections defining second-hand dealers, and he points out that, to be excluded from the operations of the Act, the onus is on the person to show that he does not carry on business or the purchasing of second-hand articles except for the purpose of manufacturing articles therefrom.

In this case, said his Honour, there was prima facie evidence that the accused was a second-hand dealer without a license and had not furnished proof that be was manufacturing articles from the gold he was so purchasing. ;