HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 35, 10 August 1934, Page 11

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The House of Representatives mot at 10.30 a.m.

The Passports Bill, the Chureli of England Tribunal (Validation of Election) -Bill, and the Education Reserves Amendment Bill wore put through the committee stages and passed. Moving the second reading of the Second-hand Dealors Amendment Bill, the Minister of Justice (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe) aaid that the House would realise the necessity for tho measure. Stolen goods wore passed on and sold immediately after purchaso, and it became difficult for the police to recover them. Considerable quantities of jewellery were stolen from dwellings and were disposed of. In futuro, traders woud bo required to keep a record, and itinerant doalevs would bo brought under control. With a few exceptions, such as schoolbooks, tho Bill would apply to all second-hand goods. Thousands of bicycles were stolen and altered, and they were very difficult to recover. This was hard on young people especially. Second-hand dealers would bo required to retain for one month each articlo they purchased, and wero prohibited from altering tho appearance of the article. ' It was the opinion of the Department that it was very necessary that jewellers handling second-hand gold or silver should come under the provisions of tho Bill.

Mr. JR. McKeen (Labour, Wollington South) said that tho Bill was tho boginning of further inroads .into tho rights of local bodies. The,local bodies would have \o continue their inspection, yet tho Government would tako tho fees. If tho Government was taking over tho licensing of second-hand dealers local bodies shoulct be relieved of tho inspection. Mr. S. G. Smith (Government, New Plymouth) said he took it that tho season for the Bill was that some local bodies had failed in their duty of protecting tho public. Mr, D.' G. Sullivan (Labour, Avon) said that every time Mr. Smith spoke was in defence of the Ministry, and it was really too bad that ho had not received his reward for it. ~ Mr. E. Semplo (Labour, Wollington Bast): He is looking for it. Ho is living in hope. " Mr, A. M. Samuol (Independent, Thames): Is it always necessary to defend the Ministry? . (Proceeding.)