AUCTIONEERS IN CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 887, 5 August 1910, Page 8

AUCTIONEERS IN CONFERENCE

' AMENDING 'ACT"DESIRED. A ...conference, .attended.. by representatives of .auctioneering . firms throughout tho Dominion,; was held-iii, the Chamber of; Commerce-iyc'stcrday.'V'Jlr. W.-' Pryor (Dune'din), who,;.was elected chairman, presided over' tho. .following representatives:—Messrs. John Stevenson (Wanganui), James Macintosh (Invercargill. Southern .Hawke's Bay, and Hamilton), E. W. Waterhouse (Wollington), W. H. H. Young'(Taranaki),; S. W. Shaw (Tara.n'akij, R. W. MKni'gnt'tManawatu, West Coast, and Palmerston North), Joseph Thorpes (president Auckland Auction-eers''-Association), F. F.' Shalders, A.' Leigh Hunt, a Bannister, H. A. Keeling- (Wellington), K. S;. Abraham. (Palmerston North),, and A. Gould (Nelson). -The. conference formulated a scries of "proposals, fort tho most part intended .to secure, amendments in the Auctioneers Act. •"•';'.''■-■.'- .' ■-' '•.■'.',-'' ' .-,:;;.: DEPUTATION:;TO MINISTEK. -Last evening ■tho'-'represnntativos'waited as a deputation upon the Hon. D. Budrto, ilinister for Internal -.Affairs. •, - .■•-Mr.. Pry or saicl-'f ho. proposals put before the; Minister represented ''a', consensus of opinion of ■. auctioneers "throughout' the Dominion. • The'-niain . alteration asked for was, tho removal of'the license from the i hands of. the individual auctioneer to ','tho'Sß of the' firm, by whom .lie was employed. ; - The!' present -Act was simply impracticable. In. many cases it' could not-.'b'o ; * obeyed.'. Firms advertised that they .w ; ero ' auctioneers, 'although,' iiS' i fact;" they were not. Again, '■ there; was nothing'to'pr'event au auctioneer decamping ■ witji a. license foiy Which - his s firm had paid, and selliiiK for other peoplu. This- had been done. '-•; Other , alterations asked, fo'r provided that no' local body should 'grant a' license to any person or company who had been.refused a licehso :by another ■.local;', authority; ; ■ Prnvismu should.bo made for ' appeal ')■ consequent on a license being refused. All, licenses should be, granted. for twelvo months at the.full fee of JBJO,- and issued on Janu-ary-;.l, April,. ; July, :,.'o'r...October. Tho object of this 'was to .prevent cheap-jacks obtainini;-;■ ■ licenses, as' at .■ present for. : ,,£lO,, iny-tho Mast quarter, of the"-;;.year; ; It-.' was desired., also that'-v-tho'-'.issne of..'special., licenses, in sparsely settled districts'' should: be ■strictly ,'regulatcd, and that such licenses should; be valid only in the district where they ;w«re issued., -In conclusion Mr..' Pryor ;laid ; ':be'fdfe:;tlie Jtihister the. following" resolution approved by the conference :—"That, ■in the opinion of this conference,'the, Bill to be introduced.by Mr. •Witty-entitled the ; Sale'.of Goods Amendment ;Act",'; is' imjiradticable ■ and .uncnlled for'.'and should bo -opposed, and thai, copies, of-the resolution bo sent to each member of Parliament.":' ' ":-'-Mri' Thornes. said'he represented twenty-' five-auctioneers of Auckland ..who w-ero unanimous' in approying the proposals, .now -before, the Minister. Ho had to ask partic^lnrly-it'tlijit;' it'.;'shoilld'.'be; made illegal.-for; anyone to act as-a land-agent. felt that in such a case', as this.iyhere'aman.had to handle large iamonnts'-'the public, should bo given some . ; ..proteetion^«i.Aiupresent anyone could act :as "a; land-agent-whether he wos a man of straw or otherwise, simply by putting out a'sigh.';'■ -~;V; ; ■■■.''. Mr.'Abraham .joined other- speakers in emphasising r -tlle-tuhanimous; v favour with -.which'a.uctijOneers throughout'the Dominion!i..regiirded these proposals.'j. The pre•sent'sAct' imposed ■hardships.',;oh; auction.eei'ihg. firms, and'jjpreaches were/'unavoidable.';V'He,;hadv.''himsel.f been'-threateued jwitirproseoutibnis. iijVplvi.osj fines'of seven 'or; eight^;tli^usah9; f p^ufMs.. h --'''Th'e. clause iri;»Mr^.' : J;WittyV"'Bi.ll , 'pro'vading 1 ' that the of;; any person'who .'to. pay in' cash.would;.impose'Ug'reat' hardship. If it wore so enacted auctioneers would be unable to continue their present' pracupaying.„y<endprSj,p.n ,tho.- day.'-fol-. .lowing-;,a' sale.. '■ .'■ '"i ,- : ,■' ,'.-■ ?! ■. : CONSIDERATWN.' ; rROIIISEi). ;;,In reply,;, the...Ministei','said all must 'candidly : admit • "the-'Auctioneers'. Act ihadj.dono very.. good 1 ; and had 'giyeii rise ' to: very ■ little' .'difficulty;. The ihing .-there)-, would' be. ' some.-.little' difficulty: about: was/the'su'ggestibnfhat only ■a ; yearly,' license")'should be issued,' for •'which JMO would:have, to be paid. In newly-settled districts.fa'-rfirm' might de';iire ..to open-jar hew ibusiness,.' and; might ■find;.'it. a hardship' 'if...they'had. to take put a -£i 0 •■■'A-TJiej suggestion in reference' "to"'special'.districts. would be 'given consideration.-'.ylh-regard to.the jqiicstion' of'.substitntes,'r..-auctioneers;, deserved a good ;de;il ; . of';' : consideration. ;The Minister agreed-that-a. license !hot;.,lapse at';!.tho : ; death 'of the holder, ■but, should /pass.vin "the 'ordinary "way. to ;the,-vbeneficiaries '.of' his estate. •..-.. It was ihp/new thing, to ask that all land-agents should, be ::licensed,in-' ; .tjie.'same'-manner ; as..''auctioneers,':^but'it",,was f 'still one.'of 'the ~q'uestions.'.'.'that -'gave 'room Jpr.-'-differences -;.of; "'opinion. ' However, 'evidence - would; be' : tdken'."'- The ' land agent' was. often a;very,"useful person, .and.'--possibly->in, the;-interests of 'land agents. themselves ;. : 'a; recognised ..authority would be better i than -their present -lack of status.: He would endeavour to have the. matter- put. in', such a form ■that' it could be submitted .to the' GoveAmont. for 'consideration. "Many ; of. the! things asked .fori, \vould; benefit" the publio'i.as w-ell-ias auctioheers. Others re- - ti'uired • considerable consideration.'-The, 'Minister'-said he-.'rnther'-iifavoured:,'. the; Hr'ni;/holding, the,-license. ,:.'Thpy were".at the. preseikt <tinie ; l ..the . : r'e'sporisible.;;par-'lies.'.;i-Hei was;* quite,, sure, it 'wduld«"n'ot; affect the local-body,V;;an(l -there could" be 'ho, other objection ,to .it.'. :Witlire■gard 'to'.;tlieVSalo : of : - Goods :'Act, he:rccbg•that was; the .01d,,-question . of "trotting." ''If '.there':', were'-'any method by ■'.which' ''trotting'''-,could ■ ,be elimin; .dted. from the '.businessi;of, !an iiO.lone wohld'-beVb.etter,; pleased':-. than_ 'Uie s auctioneer-'i'liimself..':. If•'■'. anything? ■-.could-be 'done'to.'moilify the''matter he, ' «;6uld be'glad,'.'but it'ifaa not. one that - 'could"be dealt,-with offhand.-_ ■-' '\ :..'Messrs.. Daigety- and'.'dbmpariy.V-lit'd,,' re-'Palrtcrst'on-'sale •'yestci'day • a; fair entry of. .both sheep.'ah'd: cattle came forward. Quotations:—Mixed age ewes,.-in lamb', Bs. 6d..;i05.'.2d.,'105J'6d., to 14s.:id.: ' 'empty cows,'''£2-195.-;to £3 65.,- 18-months ; .steers,"£s ss. 6d.; yearling steers, £2;i45.: - bulls, £3 18s.;-fat; oo'ws, £t 95.'„6d.;',.;, '~ i ': Messrs. '.Daigety ; and' Co.; ,"Ltd., renort :■ having held their usual sale at their Martinboroiigh' Yards yesterday.. .They state stock'did'not come forward.uj'.to adver- ■ tised'numbers;''but ;we'have to report Drac- ' tically.i total.olearance.. We submitted a-'very.';nice.:lirie,. : of 500 .odd'-4,\6,- and f.m.' ewes'.'in lamb',; at'-165." Id.,'and wo-, ouoto . other'',lines';as'-. follow-.TfFat wcthcrß. 15s. ■ 2d:-',"4;' 6,■•: and 1 -f;f.in'.'/ewes"<in- lamb,,- to lbs. ld.;' : fat -heifors'MSJ-'.lOa:,- cow'in milk. £7 , 55.; ( bay.',gelding,'.; £9.:;■■;;_;.; ; ■• ' •.Messrs). .'Abraham and. Williams, I/td., tc- ' port:'—At-'oiif>l.Palmerston' North- sale on Thursday- a-full, yardirie of stock was offered to 'a- large attendance of buyers.. ■ Recant, prices "were, well ■ maintained, and the-whole, entry was disposed.of at Eatis : factory prices.', A. line.'of, 1050,2-tooth ewes in'lamb realised 18s. -2d.', -and a- nice lino' • of 4.and '5-yoar,'owcs' in. lamb made 19s. Other lines of mised'aged breeding ewes made-from':l2s.t6' : l4s.;,f.m. ewes in lamb, : Bs. 3d. to 9s. 6d.;,fat'wethers, 18s.;. forward, wethers, 15s. ':'■• hoggets;;'9s. Id.; to . lis. ". Cattle': 3J-yea-ri bullocks', *£6 6s. to £6 10s.; 3-ycar bullocks. £5 145.; light fat cows, £4 10s, to- £4 17s. 6d,: ..springing heifers, £5 to £6 ,7s. 6d.; forward: empty cows,' £3 ss. to £3 10s.- 1 ■•-''■ The New Zealand' Loan Wand Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., reports:—At Palraerstou North, on Thursday we had a good entry, ; "of sheep and a-heavy yarding of cattle. Bidding was brisk throughout,'and we had , a good clearance at prices in. favour of , vendors. We quote :—Sheep: Cull hoggets. 6s. 2d.; wether hoggets.,lis. 10d.; forward ■ ewes. 9s. 9d. to Wis.' 9d.; light (at ewes ; ' and wethers, 135.; .aged ewos, 7s, sd. to Bs. • 2d.; cull ewes, 3s. Id. to 6s. 10d.; 2-tooth i Uomney ewes (extra good), 265.; f.m. breed- . ing. ewes, 12s. 3d.; mixed aged owes, 14s. 9d.. Cattle: Small weaneß. 235.; yearling [ rteers, £2.85.; 20-month to 2-year steers, £3 1 17s. to £4; 2J-year steers.' £4 10s. to £4 - 135.; forward bullocks, £7; fat cows, £6 17s. '~ 6d.; store cows, "£2 Bs.. to £2.185.; dairy ~ W\YS l '£s.2B,-6d,-'to£s."H)s. ..-•:.