67

8.—5

used for any improper purpose whatever. Pending investigation, the Minister of Agriculture, whenever he deems necessary, may suspend a license temporarily without hearing. 12. Every warehouseman conducting a warehouse licensed under this Act shall receive for storage therein, so far as its capacity permits, any agricultural product of the kind customarily stored therein by him which may be tendered to him in a suitable condition for warehousing, in the usual manner in the ordinary and usual course of business, without making any discrimination between persons desiring to avail themselves of warehouse facilities. 13. Any person who deposits agricultural products for storage in a warehouse licensed under this Act shall be deemed to have deposited the same subject to the terms of this Act and the rules and regulations prescribed hereunder. 14. Any fungible agricultural product stored for Dominion or overseas commerce, or in any place under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Government, in a warehouse licensed under this Act shall be inspected and graded by a person duly licensed to grade the same under this Act. 15. Every warehouseman conducting a warehouse licensed under this Act shall keep the agricultural products therein of one depositor so far separate from agricultural products of other depositors, and from other agricultural products of the same depositor for which a separate receipt has been issued, as to permit at all times the identification and redelivery of the agricultural products deposited ; but, if authorized by agreement or by custom, a warehouseman may mingle fungible agricultural products with other agricultural products of the same kind and grade, and shall be severally liable to each depositor for the care and redelivery of his share of such mass, to the same extent and under the same circumstances as if the agricultural products had been kept separate, but he shall at no time while they are in his custody mix fungible agricultural products of different grades. 16. For all agricultural products stored for Dominion or overseas commerce, or in any place under the exclusive jurisdiction of New Zealand, in a warehouse licensed under this Act original receipts shall be issued by the warehouseman conducting the same, but no receipts shall be issued except for agricultural products actually stored in the warehouse at the time of the issuance thereof. 17. Every receipt issued for agricultural products stored in a warehouse licensed under this Act shall embody within its written or printed terms —(a) the location of the warehouse in which the agricultural products are stored ; (b) the date of issue of the receipt ; (c) the consecutive number of the receipt; (d) a statement whether the agricultural products received will be delivered to the bearer, to a specified person, or to a specified person or his order ; (e) the rate of storage charges ; (/) a description of the agricultural products received, showing the quantity thereof, or, in case of agricultural products customarily put up in bales or packages, a description of such bales or packages by marks, numbers, or other means of identification, and the weight of such bales or packages ; (g) the grade or other class of the agricultural products received, and the standard or description in accordance with which such classification has been made : Provided that such grade or other class shall be stated according to the official standard of the Dominion applicable to such agricultural products as the same maybe fixed and promulgated under authority of Jaw : Provided further, that until such official standards of the Dominion for any agricultural product or products have been fixed and promulgated, the grade or other class thereof may be stated in accordance with any recognized standard or in accordance with such rules and regulations not inconsistent herewith as may be prescribed by the Minister of Agriculture ; (A) a statement that the receipt is issued subject to the New Zealand Warehouse Act and the rules and regulations prescribed thereunder ; (i) if the receipt be issued for agricultural products of which the warehouseman is owner, either solely or jointly or in common with others, the fact of such ownership ; (j) a statement of the amount of advances made and of liabilities incurred for which the warehouseman claims a lien : Provided that if the precise amount of such advances made or of such liabilities incurred be at the time of the issue of the receipt unknown to the warehouseman or his agent who issues it, a statement of the fact that advances have been made or liabilities incurred and the purpose thereof shall be sufficient ; (k) such other terms and conditions within the limitations of this Act as may be required by the Minister of Agriculture ; and (?) the signature of the warehouseman, which may be made by his authorized agent : Provided that when requested by a depositor of other than fungible agricultural products, a receipt omitting compliance with subdivision (g) of this section may be issued : Provided, however, the Minister of Agriculture may in his discretion require that such receipt have plainly and conspicuously embodied in its written or printed terms a provision that such receipt is not negotiable. 18. The Minister of Agriculture is authorized from time to time to establish and promulgate standards for agricultural products by which their quality or value may be judged or determined : Provided that the standards for any agricultural products which have been or which in future may be established by or under authority of any other Act of Parliament shall be and are hereby adopted for the purposes of this Act as the official standards of New Zealand for the agricultural products to which they relate. 19. While an original receipt issued under this Act is outstanding and uncancelled by the warehouseman issuing the same no other or further receipt shall be issued for the agricultural product covered thereby or for any part thereof, except that in the case of a lost or destroyed receipt a new receipt, upon the same terms and subject to the same conditions, and bearing on its face the number and date of the receipt in lieu of which it is issued, may be issued upon compliance with the statutes of New Zealand applicable thereto in places under the exclusive jurisdiction of New Zealand : Provided that if there be in such case no statute of New Zealand such new receipts may be issued upon the giving of satisfactory security in compliance with the rules and regulations made pursuant to this Act. 20. A warehouseman conducting a warehouse licensed under this Act, in the absence of some lawful excuse, shall, without unnecessary delay, deliver the agricultural products stored therein upon a demand made either by the holder of a receipt for such agricultural products or by the depositor thereof, if such demand be accompanied with (a) an offer to satisfy the warehouseman's lien, (b) an offer to