TAX ON CONSIGNMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 108, 9 May 1896, Page 5

TAX ON CONSIGNMENTS.

(ET TELEGRAPH. — I'RES.S ASSOCIATION.)

Napier, Friday. Me McGowax, Tax Commissioner, was present at a largely attended meeting held in the Chamber of Commerce to-day, when he explained ab length the object of the new taxes on consignment goods and commercial travellers from outside the colony. In brief, his explanation was _ that both taxes were primarily designed to protect New Zealand traders from unfair outside competition. Ab present, a consignee of consigned goodß no doubt paid a tax on his commission, bub there was another profit, that of the consignor, which the new tax was dosigned to catoh. The importer here paid on both profits. The profit had been fixed at 7i per cent., because, after examination of many ad valorem invoices, .that was found to be a fair, average. Many consignees showed losses on consignments, bub investigation showed bheso losses wars on goods taxed by weighb or measure, that in nearly all instances invoice prices were about doublo the true pricess as shown by European and American prices current. If the true value were shown there would be a profit. Where bona fide loes waa Bhown no tax would be levied. The commercial travellers tax was imposed because it waslound extremely ditiiculb to assess the profits on orders they took so as not to let those goods, in freo of tax on profits, which handicappod New Zealand merchants. ; He was listened to most attentively, and evidently made a greab impression on the members ( prosent, who passed a hearty vote_ of thanks to him for his explanation. In the course of his remarks he stated that agitation againsb the consignment tax was got up by two firmß, one doing bueiness in Auckland and the other in Wellington, Christchnrch, and Dnnedin. To his knowledge one firm was using correspondence with the Department! as an advertisement for itself to show him. they looked after the interests of consignora, in the hope of getting amonopoly of consignment business to the colony.