6 MINTTKS OK EVIDENCE TAKEX HEEOEE THE SELECT COMMITTEE 



watch the suspicious characters. If they have to 

 be notified it would he a great drawback to free 

 trade, and I do not think that is workable. 



,>(3. You IIJIYC been an ostrich feather farmer as 

 well as a buyer? Yes. 



,)7. As a buyer say you buy 10 Ib. of feathers 

 from a farmer and one Ib from one of his servants 

 and in your register you state that you bought 11 

 Ib. of featheis from the farmer, and say nothing 

 about the Ib. you bought from the servant. How 

 could that be checked ? It would be unlawful to 

 do that. 



38. But how are you going to check it? The 

 feather buyer would be guilty of fraud if he did 

 that. 



3U. Chairman.] Do not you think it would be a 

 good thing if a buyer was compelled to give the 

 farmer from whom he buys the feathers a 

 duplicate copy of the entry he has made in his 

 register? Yes, that would be a check. I am 

 satisfied with that. 



40. Mr. I. J. rail Z//L] Y^ou said you were in 

 favour of the police inspecting the books of the 

 feather buyers every month, but if a buyer from 

 Cape Town goes to Oudtshoorn and is back again 

 in Cape Town within the month, what would 

 be the use of the inspection by the police 

 in Cape TOAVII ? Do not you think it is advisable 

 that the books of such feather buyers should be 

 inspected in the different districts in which 

 they buy before he leaves them ? No. 

 I do not agree with that. 'My opinion 

 is that as long as a buyer knows that his 

 books must be inspected once a month by the 

 police he will see that his books are kept in proper 

 order. I am not in favour of what you propose. 



41. Chairman.] Clause Five Registration, of 

 ostriches. You have been an ostrich farmer 

 would you be in favour of compelling every ostrich 

 farmer to register his birds ? Xo. I do not see why 

 the producer who works hard should have this addi- 



