In this Act references to an offer to sell goods shall be construed as including a reference to a notification by a person of the price proposed by him for a sale of goods, made by the publication of a price list, by exposing the goods for sale in association with a mark indicating price, by the furnishing of a quotation, or otherwise howsoever, and the reference in Section ten of this Act to an offer to enter into a transaction shall be construed similarly as including a reference to a notification of the consideration proposed for the transaction.—[The Attorney-General.]

Brought up, and read the First time.

8.0 p.m.

I beg to move, "That the Clause be read a Second time."

This is a new Clause defining for the purposes of the Act an offer to sell goods. The matters set out would not technically be offers to sell for the purposes of other branches of the law, such as a contract for the sale of goods, but it is obviously desirable that for the purposes of this Bill they should be regarded as offers to sell, and it is thought necessary and desirable to make it quite clear that these matters may be regarded as offers to sell.

Does this mean that the mere placing of a mark indicating the price of an article exposed for sale in the shop, if it is above the permitted increased price, will in itself be an offence, although in fact no one goes into the shop desiring to purchase it, but the thing is observed by someone who is competent to make a complaint?

Yes, it means that. It would be an offence.

Question put, and agreed to.

Clause read a Second time, and added to the Bill.