Auctioneers' Act.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 49, 19 June 1914, Page 5

Auctioneers' Act.

THE NECESSARY LICENSE, WARNINC FROM THE BENCH. Frank Goldsmith was charged at the Magistrate's Court, Stratford, thi» morning with having on May 30tb, conducted an auction sale, he not being the holder of an auctioneer's license. Mr P. Thomson appeared for defendant and entered a plea of guilty. He stated that defendant was employed by Mr T. I. Lamason, and on the day in question he conducted the sale for about fifteen minutes. He was being schooled in the manner of conducting a sale. The Act allowed a niimimum fine of £lO, and he thought that the Court should exercise its discretion and infiict only a nominal penalty.

Mr Kenrick said the Austioneers' Act was made serere to safeguard tho public aaginst possible defalcation. If defendant's employer desired to teach him the business he should have the license transferred to him. He thought that the .section in the Justice of the Peace Act regarding a nominal penalty did not apply. The Act should really have made a separate offence of unlicensed selling by an employee. The minimum fine was fixed to guard against sailing by. persons unlicensed and not connected with a licensed firm. Defendant wquld have to be fined the minimum amount, but if application was made to the Justice Department, he (Mr Kenrick) would be able to report on the matter. The ease should he a warning to auctioneers to be careful to observe the provisions of the law.