"LOOSELY DRAWN."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 246, 18 October 1933, Page 3

"LOOSELY DRAWN."

SALES TAX LAW. COMMENT BY MAGISTRATE. A CHARGE WITHDRAWN. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRIST CHURCH, tins day. The case of tlie Customs Depaitment against tlie Sterling Clothing Manufacturing Company, Ltd., a charge of failing to forward sales tax returns, v.';w again mentioned in the Magistrate's Court this morning. When three charges were heard recently two were withdrawn, and the magistrate, Mr. H. R. La wry, reserved his decision in the third to enable the Department to make application for a remission of the fine that might be imposed. This morning the remaining information was withdrawn, after a statement had been made by counsel for the Customs Department to the effect that it did not agree with the magistrate's view on the subject, as previously expressed, but at the same time the Minister wia of the opinion that a line of £25 in tlie circumstances of tile present case was excessive. The magistrate said the legislation, as it stood at present, was open to any interpretation. It had been loosely drawn in many ways. lie thought tlie Department was doing the right thing in withdrawing the last information. The whole thing bristled with difficulties.