36 MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE SELECT COMMITTEE 



j H M schoe ^^ ^ U * y u sa y ^ e Du y er should be allowed to 



man," M^T go out of the district without his books or feathers 



jni ' i9 I'to- Caving previously been inspected ? But you must 



' understand that a thief may steal as cleverly as 



possible, but the duplicate will be there, and if 



there is any suspicion of unfair dealing the police 



will know and will warn people to watch him. 



You must trap him in his own district, not in the 



district where he is going to buy. 



261. How would you trap him ? The police, the 

 magistrate and field- cornets are there. 



26,2. But the farmer is not there ? But you have 

 his duplicate receipt, and you can write to the 

 farmer or telegraph asking him to send a descrip- 

 tion of the feathers bought from him. 



263. Chairman.'] Then the question arises, 

 should not the seller give a receipt to the buyer as 

 well ? It would do no harm, but would be trouble- 

 some. 



264. Mr. BellinganJ] A feather buyer leaves the 

 district of Uitenhage, for instance," and goes to 

 Steynsburg or Jansenville. If he buys feathers 

 there and then leaves that district, should it not 

 be his duty to go to the police and show 

 his books before he leaves the district, be- 

 cause otherwise how would you trap him? 

 I understand the difficulty because such a man 

 could steal and clear out at once, but still you have 

 the check in the counterfoil. 



. 265. In what language do you think the buyers' 

 register should be kept ? In English or Dutch. 



266. Not in any other language ?- No. Some- 

 times a foreigner comes here who does not know 

 any English or Dutch, and he has to use some other 

 language, but I think in that case such a person 

 should employ some one to enter the particulars 

 in his book in either English or Dutch. 



267. When a man is finished buying feathers in 

 a district do you think he should go to the police 

 and show his books to them ? If they are needed. 



268. We should not have legislation which would 



