Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-29
MAY DRIVE FAKE
AUCnONEERS OUT
Enforcement of Law and New
Police Regulation Expected
to Do the Work.
BAN ON LICENSES UNTIL
$1,000 BOND IS PUT UP
Tricks of All Kinds Resorted to in
Order to Sell Goods Thought
to Be Worthless.

enforcement to the letter OF a law
already on the statute books and a new
Iohce regulation under contemplation
may be the means to be adopted by the
commissioners for driving fake auc-
uoneers out of the District of Columbia
Convinced that the amended statute
OF January 20. 1887. requiring auction
eers to give bond I'm the amount OF
5000 each is valid and may be car
ried into effect. Assistant Corporal ton
Counsel Whiteford today is putting the
finishing touches on a police regulation
which. In addition to other things. will
prohibit the ringing of bells and the
hanging out of flags In connection with
the conduct of auction sales.
He expects to submit the proposed
new regulation to the Commissioners
late today. Al the same time he will
suggest to the District heads. il IL
understood. that they instruct the
assessor of the District not TO renew
any auction license permits for the new
license year, which begins Saturday of
this week, unless the applicants can
comply fully with the law requiring
the giving of bond and the payment of
license fee of 500.
Procedure Is Approved.
Mr.. Whiteford's contemplated procedure
in the matter has the approval of Ju-
Illus /. Peyser. attorney for the jewelers.
Association Of the District of Columbia,
who. recently. on behalf Of that organiLa-
tion, requested the Commissioners to give
a hearing for the purpose OF determining
whether so-calied fake auction houses
now being operated In the District are
public nutsances.
Mr.. Peyser and the assistant corpora
ton counsel were In conference both yes
terday and today, and have agreed. II 10
understood. that enforcement of the stat
ute referred to, together with the police
regulation proposed, will be sufficient to
remedy the situation complained Of.
The law in question is an amendment OF
q statute enacted July 4. 1870. Mr.. White
ford has been looking up old decisions
bearing on the question. with the result
that he has decided there is nothing to
prevent enforcement Of the law.
Tricks Are Resorted To.
a trick observed by Star reporter On
q visit to fake auction sale u 10 put up
some article like q watch chain and de-
scribe It as a fine chain, solid gold.
swivel" After the chain becomes some
ones property he discovers to his sorrow.
as likely. as not. that the swivel is Sold
gold but that is as far as the solid
gold goes. Yet, When you PIN the auc-
tioneer down to II, didn't he say solid
gold swivel?
Then again. watch will be described
as possessing ''$45 movement" If you
are unfortunate enough and foolish
enough to buy 1t. you may discover. on
taking Your purchase to a reputable
jeweler, that the movement is what Is
known to the trade as $45 movement.
but that the works of the watch are not
worth more than a dollar or two. at the
most AS a rule. they are Of the variety
that may be bought for S14 a dozen.
Articles Sometimes Returned.
Some unfortunates who have been dis
contented with their purchases have taken
them back and '.howled," but in most
cases the silver-tongued auctioneers man.
age to induce them to take something else
in exchange for ii. the consequence being
that the hapless patron Is quite as badly
'stung'' as at first.
In one of the places. at least. a rathe-
poorly dressed man stays. and Ii the bids
don't go high enough to suit the aue-
tioneer he goes little higher than the
last one and disappears toward the bacS
of the. shop. ostensibly to receive his
purchase. Later when a new crowd IS III
the store, the same article again makes
hos