PROPOSED LEGISLATION.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 9 July 1910, Page 4

PROPOSED LEGISLATION.

JJIIiLS INTRODUCED TO I»AliLIAMKXT. My courtesy of Mr Field, M.l\, Tho Ohromclc iias -revcvved coipie.s of severa.l important- Mills introduced to I'arlia.niemt this week. Amongst them aro tilio loJ'lo'U'iiig: - SAL 10 OF GOODS A.UKXOMKXT. This Hill, iu.tioduced by .Mr Witty, proposes to amend section fifty-nine of the SaJe of G'ood.s Act, 1!)08, by thereto tho fallowing subsections : — "(l>.) livery loit s'hall be sold to the highest bidder, and it sha-ll not be lawful for any .auctioneer to refuse to.accept a bid from any person present, all tlie wale wlm is or \vh ! o states that he is willing, to pay cash for the goo:'.s on delivery thereof ; and any coiidil ion or stipulation in conditions of sale in any manner violating this provision sliail be void and of mo efl'ec.t. (7.) In tin* account of any stile by amition rendered by the auctioneer to the person on whose belia'lf the sale Kikes place there sha.ll .bo stated the name of the pun-lmser of eacl) lot submitted for sale."

This Hill, introduced by Sir W. J. Steward, provides amongst other things that from and after the parsing of the Act no license shall be granted to any person to carry on business as a bookmaker on any racecourse, amd every such license there.lofore granted shall la-pse- -and be of no effect: and every bookmaker who, either by hiiikse.ll' or by means of any agent, clerk, o-r .servant, makes or offers to make any bet or wager oii> any racecourse <->r on any land or place situated within o'nc mile thereof, and every such agent, clerk, or servant who so makes or offers to make any btit or wager, i.s liable for a first oflYmee to a liiie of not less than twenty pounds and not exceeding ono hundred pounds, and for a second or any subsequent oft'cntce -t-r> iiiiprisoiiimenit for a period noit exceeding three months. PHOSPHOR I'S .UATCHIOS. The Hon. .Mr Buddo has introduced a Bill to 'U'ij'hibit the importation, manufacture a.nd sale ml' matches iiKule with white phosphorus, to come into force in .January, .11)12. For the purpose of this Act— "Factory" and "occupier" have the wiine me.auiug.s as are -attached lo those terms bv the Factories Act, 1.108: "White phosphorus" means the substance usually known as white o-i y. How -phosphorus.

It .-'lia 11 not, l)i> In wln I to import into New Xea himl tches made with uhilto phosphorus, and matches so uuule. shall lie included anions the jioods enumerated aied described in the Third S<*lu;rliilo to the Customs Law Act. l!)i)iS. (I.) Kvery occupier of ji factory i.s liable on summary convict-ion to a line of one 'hundred pounds who uses or permits the use of white phosphorus in the manufacture of matches in 'that factory. ('J.) The occupier of any factory in which the manufacture of matches is carried on shall allow an Inspector under the Factories Act, l'HlB. at any time to lake for analysis sufficient samples of any material in use or mi\-p:l for use. and if lie refuses to do so sliall he guilty, of ohstriictiim' the Inspector in tlie'oxrcution of his duties under that Act. SKCIMCT (UM.UISSiO.YS HILL. In a memorandum 'attached lo the Secret Commissions Hill, the following tacts are sot. fc/i th : The rhiel object cf this Hill is to render illegal 'rim practice of agents in secretly acceptinp; payiuenls and other valuable eon.sideiat io'ii.s fnun: third persons in respect of the Imimness and principals. There is reason to believe till at, this practice is very widely spread, and tliat it cm rcise.s a pernicious influence upon the commercial nioralitv of the t omniunit.v. [t has already heen found necessary to pass legislation for this purpose in Knjxland. Victoria, and the Co'inniouwedth of Australia. The Acts are : in the Pnvolition of Cmnvption Act. in ictoria. the Secret Commissions IVohiliitiou Act. lMOo; :1) h1 in the Commonwealth, the Secret C'lMnuiissions A(H. 1!)().'). These Acts differ con.sideraihly Irom each other. and the present lilll selects what are regarded as the best features of each. It creates the following offences(l) 'I he irivinir of secret bribes or e-thar considerations to -agents by tliil'd persons.

(:2) The receiving of secret bribes <'!• other considerations by agents I I'oni third ]>erson.s. (.'3) The conceialniciit by an agemt of his pecnniiary interest in a contract niadu by him (H i belKilf of his principal.

f-l) The giving to an agent by a third person i.'i a false or I'mpeij'eet n>oeipt, invoice, or <<ther documents, with intent to (h-ceive the principal. (■))_ The giving by an. -agent to his principal of any such document. /O) The_ receiving of secret coninnssions for advising third, .persons to enter into couitract.s M-ith tlie person paying .such commissions. The practices tr> lie stop])fd assume so many diJliore-nt forms and -are so easily disguised tha.t if the '.Vet is to be effective it must bo drawn in, the most romprehensivi! .terms. \s so <]r',nvn it is quite possible, that it includes certain practices whi(-h in ■themselves are not open to objection. It is not pr-actieabh-;, however, to loresee and exempt these cases; and it is provided 'accordingly, by wav of •safeguard fas has also h'een'dono in Knglaurl and Victoria), that no nrosepivtion can be instituted without the consent of ih> Attorney-Gene-',a'• This provision will effectually prevent the Act kom being used excent in cases wli-ich come within the spint of it as well as withiin iis letter.