War Precautions (Sheepskins) Regulations 1916 (Amendment)

Legislation au C1917L00232 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1917. No. 232.

 

REGULATIONS UNDER THE WAR PRECAUTIONS ACT 1914-1916.

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations, under the War Precautions Act 1914-1916, to come into operation forthwith.

Dated this thirteenth day of September, One thousand nine hundred and seventeen.

R. M. FERGUSON,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

G. F. PEARCE,

Minister of State for Defence.

 

Amendment of the War Precautions (Sheepskins) Regulations.

(Statutory Rules 1916, No. 321, as amended by Statutory Rules 1917, Nos. 42, 53, 72, 78, and 147.)

1. Regulation twelve of the War Precautions (Sheepskins) Regulations is amended:—

(a) By inserting after sub-regulation (1.) the following sub-regulations:—

“(1a.) Each selling broker of sheepskins shall, before selling any sheepskins, enter into a bond in accordance with Form D in the Schedule;

“(1b.) Where a company is appointed a selling broker of sheepskins the declaration and bond required under this Regulation shall be executed by or on behalf of the company in the same manner as legal documents are executed within the Commonwealth by or on behalf of the company;” and

(b) by inserting in paragraph (b) of sub-regulation (3.) thereof after the word “declaration” the words “and the bond.”

2. After Regulation twelve of the War Precautions (Sheepskins) Regulations the following Regulation is inserted:—

Sheepskin appraiser not to act as correspondent for newspaper.

“12a. A sheepskin appraiser shall not act, without the consent of the Chairman of the Central Wool Committee, as a correspondent for any newspaper, magazine, review, or journal.”

3. After Regulation nineteen of the War Precautions (Sheepskins) Regulations the following Regulation is inserted:—

Power to inspect books and documents.

“19a.—(1.) The Central Wool Committee shall, for the purpose of carrying out these Regulations, have power to authorize any member of the Committee or any other person to enter any premises and inspect any documents, books, or papers therein and to take extracts therefrom.

“(2.) Whoever obstructs any person in the performance of his duties under this Regulation shall be guilty of an offence.”

C.12368.—Price 3d.


4. Form A in the Schedule to the War Precautions (Sheepskins) Regulations is amended by adding at the end thereof the words “and that I will not, except in the course of my duty, disclose any information which comes into my possession in the course of the performance of my duties as selling-broker of sheepskins.”

5. Form B in the Schedule to the War Precautions (Sheepskins) Regulations is amended by adding at the end thereof the words “and that I will not, without the consent of the Chairman of the Central Wool Committee, act as a correspondent for any newspaper, magazine, review, or journal.”

6. After Form C in the Schedule to the War Precautions (Sheepskins) Regulations the following form is inserted:—

“Form D.

Commonwealth of Australia.

War Precautions (Sheepskins) Regulations.

Bond by Selling-broker of Sheepskins under Regulation 12.

Know all men by these presents that      of                               in the State of                                                                       is held and firmly bound to the Central Wool Committee in the sum of One thousand pounds to be paid to the Central Wool Committee, for which payment we bind ourselves by these presents.

Sealed with our Seal.

Dated this     day of    19  .

Whereas the said   has lately been appointed a sheepskin-selling broker under the War Precautions (Sheepskins) Regulations: Now the condition of the above-written bond or obligation is such that if the said                                                                       shall faithfully perform and discharge to the satisfaction of the Central Wool Committee the duties and obligations which from time to time shall devolve upon                                                         in                                                         capacity as a sheepskin-selling broker, and shall in all respects comply with the above-mentioned Regulations: Then the above-written bond or obligation shall be void, otherwise the same shall remain in full force and virtue.”

 

Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by Albert J. Mullett, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.

Overview

The Statutory Rules 1917, No. 232, made under the War Precautions Act 1914-1916, introduced amendments to the War Precautions (Sheepskins) Regulations. Enacted by the Governor-General in Council, this legislative instrument was designed to address specific issues related to the sale and appraisal of sheepskins during the First World War. The overarching policy objective was to ensure the efficient and secure management of the wool industry, which was critical to the war effort. The Regulations sought to tighten control over the sheepskin trade by imposing additional requirements on selling brokers and appraisers, such as the necessity for selling brokers to enter into a bond before selling sheepskins and prohibiting appraisers from acting as correspondents without the Chairman’s consent. These measures aimed to maintain the integrity and secrecy of the wool trade, thereby supporting national security and economic stability during the war.

Scope and Application

The War Precautions (Sheepskins) Regulations, as amended by Statutory Rules 1917, No. 232, apply to all selling brokers of sheepskins within the Commonwealth of Australia. These regulations mandate that each selling broker must enter into a bond with the Central Wool Committee before selling any sheepskins, with specific requirements for companies appointed as brokers, including the execution of the bond in accordance with Form D. Furthermore, the regulations prohibit sheepskin appraisers from acting as correspondents for any newspaper, magazine, review, or journal without the consent of the Chairman of the Central Wool Committee. Additionally, the Central Wool Committee is granted authority to inspect any documents and books of selling brokers to ensure compliance with the regulations. The scope of these regulations is national, impacting the sheepskin industry throughout the Commonwealth and extending through subordinate instruments to enforce compliance and address potential breaches.

Key Provisions

The key operative sections of the War Precautions (Sheepskins) Regulations, as amended, include amendments to existing regulations and the introduction of new ones. For instance, Regulation 12 has been amended to require that each selling broker of sheepskins must enter into a bond before selling any sheepskins (Regulation 12(1a)) and that if a company is appointed as a selling broker, the declaration and bond must be executed by or on behalf of the company in the same manner as legal documents (Regulation 12(1b)). Furthermore, a new regulation has been inserted after Regulation 12, prohibiting sheepskin appraisers from acting as correspondents for newspapers, magazines, reviews, or journals without the consent of the Chairman of the Central Wool Committee (Regulation 12a). Another new regulation, inserted after Regulation 19, grants the Central Wool Committee the power to authorise members or other persons to inspect books, documents, or papers in any premises to carry out these Regulations (Regulation 19a(1)). Obstructing anyone in the performance of their duties under this regulation is an offence (Regulation 19a(2)). The amended regulations impose several obligations on the parties they govern. Selling brokers of sheepskins must now enter into a bond with the Central Wool Committee before selling any sheepskins, and if a company is appointed as a broker, the declaration and bond must be executed in the same manner as legal documents by or on behalf of the company. Sheepskin appraisers are prohibited from acting as correspondents for newspapers, magazines, reviews, or journals without obtaining the consent of the Chairman of the Central Wool Committee. The Central Wool Committee is empowered to authorise members or other persons to enter any premises and inspect documents, books, or papers to carry out the regulations. Breaches of these regulations may result in civil or criminal consequences. For example, Regulation 19a(2) states that obstructing any person in the performance of their duties under this regulation is an offence. However, the specific penalties for such offences are not detailed in the provided text. The penalties for breaches of the War Precautions Act 1914-1916 or related regulations would typically be found in the primary legislation or further subsidiary legislation.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.