The difficulty in regard to this amendment seems to hinge on two points—whether there should not be some kind of classification and the deposits fixed in accordance with it and whether it is within the ability of applicants to get cover from the insurance offices. The Minister has expressed his doubt as to his ability to secure anything in the way of a suitable classification, and I think he is right in that. I tried to think out some kind of an ordered classification which might follow on these lines: metropolitan offices; urban offices, divided into people entitled to deal in lands and houses, others only in houses and others in lands; rural auctioneers, entitled to deal in lands and houses in the rural area and others entitled to deal in lands only. Then, to cater for that class about which Senator O'Dea and others were uneasy, the very small man, there might be a classification in which men could deal only in grass lettings, meadow lettings and conacre generally. I am sure no one in the House would agree that that is a reasonable suggestion which would prove to be workable, so I think we must reject it. It follows, then, that it is likely there will be some casualties. If there must be casualties, that is that, but we have to keep in mind the public good.
Regarding the fidelity bond, I do not think there would be any difficulty in getting it. My name is handed in very often to insurance companies by applicants as a reference for bonds or fidelity cover and I do not know of any case yet where anybody has been refused, though many of the applicants who have used my name as a reference, to my own knowledge would not have a sixpence in the bank. Yet they have had no difficulty in getting their bonds. It could be that insurance companies might use their power to keep certain people out of this profession by refusing to provide them with the necessary cover, but it ought to be possible to get after that. As a matter of fact, it seems to me that the time has come when some inquiry must be made into the whole question of agency in general, as well as in regard to certain matters dealt with by insurance companies. It seems to me that if men find they have a grievance, that applicants for this cover are not being fairly treated, it ought to be possible to have their cases examined, and of the companies refusing cover being made to answer.
I make this suggestion with regard to this difficulty, that perhaps the auctioneers' organisation itself might undertake the underwriting of these bonds. It is a very big, widespread organisation, and it seems to me that there is no reason why it should not be in a position to provide the necessary cover where it is satisfied that the applicants are fit and proper persons for admission to the organisation. We are all agreed with Senator O'Dea and with the other Senators who have spoken that, if we can avoid inflicting hardship upon anybody, it should be done. I am sure the Minister agrees with Senator O'Dea on that, and that we are all in agreement with him on it. The difficulty is to find a formula that would be satisfactory. No formula has been suggested, and, perhaps, while not asking the Minister to commit himself, he might between this and the next stage see whether he and his advisers might not be able to find some formula on the lines of classification that might meet the wishes of the House.
