PART IV.

Restriction on Purchase of Pelts of Musk Rats.

23. —(1) It shall not be lawful for any person other than the Minister to purchase the pelt of any musk rat unless such person is the holder of a licence (in this Act referred to as a purchaser's licence) granted by the Minister under this Part of this Act authorising him to purchase pelts of musk rats.

(2) If any person acts in contravention of this section, such person shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds.

24. —(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, the Minister shall grant to every person who applies to him therefor a purchaser's licence.

(2) The Minister may refuse to grant to any person a purchaser's licence, if such person was previously the holder of a purchaser's licence which was revoked under this Part of this Act or such person has been convicted of an offence under any section of this Act.

25. —Every purchaser's licence shall operate and be expressed to authorise the holder of such licence to purchase pelts of musk rats.

26. —There shall be paid to the Minister on every purchaser's licence a fee of such amount as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, may from time to time appoint.

27. —(1) The Minister may by order make regulations in relation to all or any of the following matters, that is to say:—

(a) the returns to be made by holders of purchasers' licences;

(b) the times at which such returns are to be made;

(c) the forms in which such returns are to be made.

(2) Every person, required by regulations made under this section to make any return, who fails or refuses to make such return in accordance in all respects with such regulations shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding five pounds.

28. —(1) Every holder of a purchaser's licence shall cause to be kept at such place as the Minister may appoint in respect of such holder a record of all pelts of musk rats purchased by him, and to be entered in such record within twenty-four hours after the purchase of any such pelts, particulars of such purchase.

(2) Every record kept in pursuance of this section may be inspected at all reasonable hours by an authorised officer, and it shall be the duty of the person liable under this section to keep such record to produce for the inspection of such authorised officer on demand such record.

(3) If any holder of a purchaser's licence—

(a) fails to keep at the place appointed by the Minister in respect of such holder such record as is required by this section, or

(b) fails to make in such records within the time fixed by this section any entry required by this section to be made therein, or

(c) fails to produce for the inspection of an authorised officer on demand any record which he is required by this section so to produce or obstructs any such authorised officer in making such inspection, or

(d) wilfully makes or causes to be made in such record any entry which is false or misleading in any material particular,

such person shall be guilty of an offence under this section and shall be liable on summary conviction thereof to a fine not exceeding five pounds.

29. —The Minister may revoke a purchaser's licence if the holder thereof has been convicted of an offence under any section of this Act.

30. —(1) The Minister may purchase pelts of any musk rats found at large.

(2) There shall be paid by the Minister in respect of each pelt purchased by him such sum as he may from time to time, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, determine.

(3) The Minister may sell any pelts purchased by him under this section at such price as he may, after consultation with the Minister for Finance, think proper.

(4) All moneys received by the Minister on the sale of any pelt under this section shall be paid into or disposed of for the benefit of the Exchequer in such manner as the Minister for Finance may direct.