AUCTIONEERS AND LAND AGENTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 12, 9 October 1917, Page 8

AUCTIONEERS AND LAND AGENTS

—, ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ASSOCIATION. Tho report to be submitted to tho annual mooting of tho Land Agents' and Auctioneers' Association of Wellington states that theMinances and prospects ot the association are in a satisfactory condition. During the year the.Otago Association was formed and affiliated with tho Dominion Association, and the Canterbury Association has now been able to affiliate. The executive considers this a most satisfactory state of affairs, as the joining up o£ the two most important districts in the South Island lends ven great weight and strength to the operations of tno association. Acting on a suggestion from tho Do-, minion Association that the boundaries of local districts bo enlarged to enable registered agents outside to join an affiliated association until such' time as an association in their locality can be formed, the executive recommends that the boundaries of this district be extended to include Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Nelson and Marlborough, and that land agents therein be asked to join the association in the meantime. During the year four town and fortyone country members joined tho association. Tho resignations of two town and two country members were received and accepted, all having relinquished land agency business. Three cases of unlicensed persons dealing with land were reported to tho police during tho yenr, and two convictions were obtained, but tho executive considers that tho fines imposed (.£1 each) were absurdly low. The third case failed, the Magistrate holding that the defendant was the employee of tho owner of the land. , A deputation from tho Dominion Association waited on the Minister of Internal Affairs and discussed with him tho possibility of obtaining legislation this session which would improve tho provisions pf the Land Agents Act, 1912. The Minister gave a very .considerate hearing to the deputation and promised to do what he could to improve the present conditions, some of which he realised acted very unfairly to registered agents, and ho "asked to be supplied with extracts from nowspapcrs containing reports of cases. A letter had since been received from him to the effect that it was impossible to deal with tho matter this session, but the various requests would be considered with a view to legislation at a convenient time. The oxecutivo has given consideration recently to the question of preventing solicitors struck off the roll of the Law Society, and other undesirable persons, from obtaining licences as land, agents, it being well known that a number of such persons, have in the past obtained licences throughout the Dominion. Stops are being taken in the direction of trying to arrange that, applications for licences be referred in future to the several associations for report. The balance-sheet shows that a sum nf .£75 is deposited with the Post Office Savings Bank, and there aro no ordinary outstanding liabilities. _ There are also no outstanding subscriptions. ,