ENEMY TRADE.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 April 1916, Page 5

ENEMY TRADE.

NEW REGULATIONS ISSUED, CONTROL OF ENEMY PROPERTY. (From Our Own Correspondent.)' Wellington, April 5. Some new and important War Regulations were published in a Gazette Extraordinary to-day. The regulations deal in part with the custody and control of enemy property, and in part, they confer upon the Government extensive powers in the matter of dealing with cases of trading with the enemy. Explaining the new regulations to-day, the Attofney-General (Hon. A. L. Herdman) said that the rules which dealt with the custody of enemy property constituted the Public Trustee the custodian of such property. They required any person wlro, on the coming into operation of the regulations, hold, or had control of enemy property to notify the Public Trustee of the fact and to furnish full .particulars of the property held or controlled by him. "In the case of moneys payable to an enemy," continued Mr. Herdman, "the custodian may demand payment of such moneys from the person by whom they j are payable, and all rent, dividend, inIterest, share of profit and other income | owing by such person in New Zealand to an enemy shall be paid to the 'Public Trustee. As to the regulations dealing with enemy trading, several points are I covered.

(1) Trading with any firm or company carrying on business elsewhere than in the British Dominions is prohibited if that company or firm is incorporated or lias its chief place of business in enemy territory. This regulation covers the case of'trading with a firm carrying on business in America or American Samoa, if the head office of such firm is in Germany. (-2) Power is given to the AttorneyGeneral toi declare a company, firm or person an enemy >if ho is satisfied that the business of such company, firm or person is being carried on for the benefit of alien residents resident out of New Zealand, or if tlio company, firm or person is engaged in any business or undertaking injurious to the interests of his Majesty during the present war. A suspected person, firm or company will be declared an enemy in the Gazette, and trading with such an enemy will thereupon become unlawful. A complete list of persons with whom trading is to be prohibited is to be forwarded to New Zealand by the Imperial Government, and on its arrival the list will be gazetted. (3) The Minister, for Customs may stop the exportation of goods if he has reason to suspect that the consignee is an enemy or is a person engaged in any business injurious to his Majesty, (•4) Power is given to prevent persons carrying on business in the name of ait enemy. (5) A registrar of companies is prevented from issuing a certificate of incorporation until the Attorney-General is satisfied-that no enemy possesses or is about to acquire an interest in the company. Similar restrictions are placed upon companies incorporated elsewhere than in Now Zealand and wishing to carry on business in New Zealand. An enemy is prevented from acquiring shares, debentures or debenture stock in any company incorporated in New Zealand. (G) Perhaps the regulation which is of the greatest local interest is the one which provides that the Attorney-Gen-eral may impose such restrictions as he thinks fit upon any business carried on in New Zealand when he is satisfied that such business is wholly or partially carried on by, or on behalf of, an enemy, an enemy company, or a» enemy alien. (7) The existing power .if the Attor-ney-General to appoint the Public Trustee as controller of certain companies is extended, and it is provided that a controller may, under the new regulations, be appointed whenever the AttorneyGeneral is satisfied that its exercise is advisable by reason of tlio existence of any 'interest'' or control possessed or exercised in or on such business by an enemy.