Charlevoix county herald., 1913-09-13
LAWS THAT EFFECT
MICHIGAN FARMERS.
Commission Merchants Must
Take Out License After
Oct. LIST.

Among the new Michigan laws draft
ed by the last Michigan legislature and
which have just gone into effect are
number effecting the produce, packing
and commission business of this state.
Act No. 1874 which goes into effect
Oct provides for the regulation Ct
the business of selling farm products
pm commission, providing that all COM
mission merchants dealing in farm
produce shall be licensed, providing
against and Furnishing fraud and des
ception in the sale of farm products
on commission and defining the duties
of the state dairy and food commission
er relative thereto. In the act the term
commission merchant" is held to in
clude all persons, firms, associations
and corporations licensed under the
Act to sell, receive or offer for sale on
commission in Michigan any kind of
farm products, the term farm prod
ucts" including all agricultural, horti-
cultural, vegetable and fruit products
of rhe soil, and meats, poultry, eggs,
dairy products, nuts and honey, but
not timber products.
After Oct. l, all commission mer-
chants whose principal place of bust
ness is in Michigan, must procure IL
cense from the state dairy and food
commissioners. The license is good for
one year and a new license must be
obtained every year. The application
for license shall state the kind or
kinds of produce to be handled, the
full name of the person., firm or cor
poration applying, and If the applicant
be firm or corporation, the full nome
of each member, the city and street
number at which the business is to be
conducted and such other facts as the
food commissioner may prescribe. The
applicant, also must satisfy the food
commissioner of his or its character,
responsibility and good faith in seeking
to carry on a commission business.
The license fee in cities of less than
20, 5000 population is $l5 year, and in
cities of more than 10000 it is $25 a
year. The license is good until Oct 10
Of the year following, and shall not be
issued to the applicant if within the
year preceding complaint from any
consignor of farm produce for sale on
commission shall have made complaint
to the dairy and food commissioner un-
der section A (which follows) and the
complaint shall have been established
as true by the dairy and food commits
sioner as provided for in section 3.
Section provides that the commits
sioner and his assistants shall have the
power to investigate upon complaint OF
an interested person or on his own
motion, the record of any applicant for
license, or any transaction involving
solicitation, receipt, transportation,
sale or attempted sale of farm produce
on commission basis, including the
making of charges in selling, carting or
other services, the failure to make true
and proper accounts and settlements
at prompt and regular intervals, the
making of false statements as to condi-
ton, quality or quantity of goods re-
ceived or while in storage, the making
of false statements as to market condi-
tons, or the failure to make payment
for goods received or other alleged in
furious transactions; and for such pur-
poses may examine the books or docu-
ments of any commission merchant
and may take testimony under oath;
| but information thus secured relating
to the general business of the person
under investigation must be considered
as confidential, unless relating to the
immediate purpose of the investigation.
When the commission receives a
complaint he must attempt to obtain an
explanation or adjustment of the diff
Guilty. Failing in this within 10 days
he must serve a copy of the
charges with time and blaze for hear
ing testimony on the complaint with
the person or corporation complained
Of. Such service must be made al
least seven days before the hearing
AT the time Of the hearing the commits
sioner or his assistants shall take testi
mony under oath and shall enter {
decision either dismissing or verifying
the complaint.
Section previously mentionedl
provides that the dairy and food com
missioner may decline to grant Ii
cense or revoke license already
granted when he is satisfied of the ex
istance of any of the following cases
Where false charges have been i'm
posed for handling or services, Oh
charges other than as by schedule
agreed on by the parties, or other thar
those customary in the trade; wher,
II 4 q