The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1891.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XL, Issue 9156, 10 August 1891, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1891.

The honorable gentlemen of the Legisla- j tive Council are amending the bills sent up for their approval by the House of Representatives. The Auctioneers Bill has shared the same fate as others, but the amendments made are very much to the purpose, and are not likely, we think, to be objected to by the Lower Chamber. Clause 18 has been altered, and will now read as follows:—" Every auctioneer shall within seven days after a salo render to the person on whose behalf such sale shall nave taken place a correct account of such sale, and shall, subject to the deductions authorised by section 19 of this Act, within such period of seven days, pay to such person the balance of the proceeds of such Bale received by such auctioneer. If any such auctioneer shall, after a written demand from such person in that behalf, neglect for seven days to render such account or to pay such balance to such pereon, he Bhalf be guilty of an offence under this Act, and shall be liable for every such offence to a penalty not exceeding £10." The next clause has also been amended, and aa it applies to the above wo give it likewise. It reads : " Every auctioneer shall apply the proce> ds of sale, when realised, as follow— (a) In or towards payment of the expenses, commission, and other charges of or incidental to the sale. (6) In or towards payment of any moneys owing to such actioneer by the person on whose behalf the property was sold, (c) The balance of such proceeds shall be held by the auctioneer exclusively of suoh person, to be paid to him or as he may direct, and until so paid such balance shall be paid into a bank carrying on business under the authority of an Act of tho General Assembly to a general or separate trust account, and such balance, shall not be available for payment of the dobts of other creditor of such auctioneer, nor shall such balance be capable of being attached or taken in execution under the order or process of any Court at the instance of any anch creditor. Any auctioneer who wilfully acts contrary to the provisions of this section shall be liable for every such offence to a penalty not exceeding J6100." It is time that the law relating to auctioneers should be uniform all over the colony. At present every provincial district has a law of its own, and consequently it is very awkward for business men. The measure now being considered is a very stringent ! one, but not more so than is necessary; and bb the auctioneers in the largor town approve of its provisions, we inuy presume the bill will supply a want.