AUCTIONEERS RESPONSIBILITIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13303, 9 October 1906, Page 7

AUCTIONEERS RESPONSIBILITIES.

Sir, The exposition of the law as sought to bo established by Mr. Mays lias a more momentous and far-reaching effect than appears at. a casual glance. Take, for instance, hams and bacon : times out. of number wo see consignments sent to the auction rooms for sale because ' they are 8 " bit gone at the pone. Under this new interpretation the auctioneer in submitting such for sale would be liable to a £20 penalty. Yet is is well known that, the best of hams are liable to become a "bit, high" on the bono; but, how many would care to throw away 151b or 161b of ham or 301b to 401b of bacon because lib or 21b had become tainted at the bone while the remainder was as wholesome as the best? Now take potatoes: is it, going to be rendered necessary that an auctioneer before he can submit a line of potatoes to auction will have to turn out, every sack in ease there may bo a few potatoes gone bad since tie last, picked them over? because I have bought, potatoes, and iu less than ten day* some of them have gone bad, and if they stood for another week still more would have to be rejected, and it is the same in a lesser or greater degree with all articles ot tood. Does Mr. Mays mean to say that an auctioneer will have to inspect, the "inside of every egg he sells or render himself liable to the penalty? The whole thing is utterly ridiculous. The public in general and the housewife in particular can be left to look after their purses and health by seeing that dealers do not palm off rotten fruit or eatables 'upon. them. 1 have always found the public-ready enough to demand the best of everything iu that lias. G. BoDX.Br. •