BOOK PURCHASE RECORDS

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 28 May 1932, Page 9

BOOK PURCHASE RECORDS

SECOND-HAND DEALERS. OBLIGATION EXPLAINED. 'By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 27. That a book is an article within the meaning of the Second Hand Dealers Act, and that books must be entered up in the same way as other secondhand articles when bought by dealers, were points interpreted by Mr E. D. Mosley, iS.M., in a reserved judgment to-day in a case in which a city bookseller was charged with.failing to enter up purchases. Albert Thomas Williams, bookseller and stationer, was charged that being a licensee under the Second Hand Dealers Act he failed to enter in the book kept by him under the Act particulars required of the Act touching the purchase of two books from a person unknown. The books had been stolen and were sold to Williams.

“I must confess,” said the magistrate, “that for the purpose of this Act I cannot see much difference between an overcoat and a valuable manuscript, of a first edition, a valuable picture or a family Bible. The whole object of the Act is to enable the authorities to trace offenders when such articles are stolen, and in my opinion that object will be defeated if too narrow an interpretation is given to the word article as used in the Act.”

Williams was convicted and discharged without penalty.