THE CUSTOMS CASES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 226, 28 October 1914, Page 11

THE CUSTOMS CASES.

McKINNON COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. j After The Sun went to press yes- j terday afternoon three additional : I charges of theft were heard in respect } to the McKinnon cases. j Messrs H. J. Crowther and JEL Quane, j Justices of the Peace, were on the [bench; Mr "W. J. Hunter appeared for the accused; and Mr S. G. Eaymond, K.C., with him Mr A. F. Wright, conducted the prosecution. The fourth of six charges was of the theft of £32 12/6, from J. M. Heywood and Co. on May 9, 1911. In evidence for the prosecution, it silvered plate glass fortaoishrdletaoi was stated that on a shipment of I silvered plate glass for A. Peppier the prime entry passed through the Customs was for coloured glass, duty. free. Silvered plate glass carried a duty of 37-J per cent., and the correct amount of duty payable on the invoice was £32 12/6, which was paid out by Heywood and Co. but did not reach the Customs Department. , The next charge was of the theft of £77 16/- from the New Zealand Express Company on February 3, 1912, on a shipment of all-wool and . wool and cotton goods imported by Reynolds and Kinvig ex Tainui. The duty paid by the Express Company was £l2l 7/on the goods invoiced, but the evidence for the prosecution set out that the prime entry, which went through the Customs and was certified by the accused, showed the values to. be lower than on the invoice, and the duty to be £43 11/-. The description of a portion of the goods had been altered to cotton piece goods free of duty. John Reynolds said that he might have signed the declaration on the second prime entry, but he could not say whether or not. the signature was his. At times he had signed declarations on prime entries with the object of checking them with the invoices. MeCormick had often brought the prime entries for declaration in that way. ~- The last charge heard was of the theft of £26 12/- from the New Zealand Express Company on January 30, 1912, in connection with another shipment of goods imported by Reynolds and Kinvig. The evidence for the prosecution showed that on the prime entry put through the Customs a large portion of the goods were described as cotton piece goods, admitted duty free, reducing duty from £35 19/- to £9 7/-. The Express Company paid the full duty, but the smaller sum only reached the Department. _ McKinnon reserved his defence and j was committed for trial on all the j charges, bail being allowed as formerly.