THE AUCTIONEERS’ BILL

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1960, 5 June 1880, Page 3

THE AUCTIONEERS’ BILL

[By Telegraph.]

[pbom due own correspondent.] WEL‘ ING TON, Juno 4

The Auctioneers’ Bill is an Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to auctioneers and sales by auction, which is introduced by the Hon. Mr Dick. It is a short measure of twentyfour clan l cs. It provides that no person shall exercise the trade or business of an auctioneer or seller by commission at any sale by auction, unless duly licensed, under a maximum penalty of £IOO and three years’ disqualification from holding an auctioneer’s license. Auctioneers’ licenses are to be issued by county or borough treasurers, the fee being £lO per annum. Such licenses are not to be granted to any persona whose principal or sole place of business is not within such county or borough. Every auctioneer’s license so long as in force is to authorise the holder to conduct auction sales in any part of the colony. Existing licenses are to remain in effect until their expiration by effluxion of time or forfeiture. Two or more partners in an auction business roust tike out separate licenses and pay full fees. Publicans are not to be competent to hold auction licenses. Uncertificated bankrupts are also disqualified. Lists of licensed auctioneers are to be published. No

licensed auctioneer is to exercise his business by artificial light after 5 p.m. from April to September or after 7 p.m. during the rest of the year. JNo music or riotous or disorderly conduct is to he permitted in a sale room under a penalty of £lO. Any person not a licensed auctioneer who has any words inscribed on or about his premises, or such having been inscribed and not thoroughly obliterated, leading to the supposition that he is an auctioneer, or pretending in any way to be snch, i« to be liable to a penalty of not less than £2O or more than £IOO. Any license improperly obtained is to be forfeited. Any licensed auctioneer selling contrary to the Act is to be liable to a £SO penalty. A treasurer [improperly issuing a license is to he liable to pay the fees in proceeding against any person for acting as an auctioneer without license ; the non-production of a license is to be deemed adverse proof. Sales made by order of the Government, or the Customs, or any judicial authorities, do not come under this Act. Half-penalties may bo paid to informers and the other half to the district fund, out of which latter the expenses of administration are to be defrayed. The Government is to appoint persons to issue licenses, and may prescribe the form. Illegal sales, held prior to this Act, are not validated. The schedule repeals fifteen existing Acts on the subject.