CUSTOMS ANOMALIES.
SWELLING THE REVENUE.
(special to “the press.”) WELLINGTON, September 15.
Mr Fowlds oompained to-night of the manipulation of the tariff, and flourished a bundle of samples of cottons, flannels, etc., to prove his case that without any increase of the tariff, increased duties were being squeezed out of the people. It was done by the interpretations. Goods that used to come in free were being pushed out of the free list- into the 10 per cent, and 20 per cent, lists. In the case of cotton piece goods, the value of the imports of these in 1896 was £209,114, and in 1905 it was £216,570, an increase of oidy about £9QO; yet the ie venue from these goods actually increased by £8486, although there had been no alteration of the tariff. If they exempted the classes of cotton piece goods, which are free, they found that the importation of dutiable cotton piece goods had increased only 8 per cent., but the revenue laid .increased Zb per cent. Would the House believe it that one class of goods, if .folded in a particular way, came in free, while identically the same class of goods if folded in another way had to pay 20 per cent.? It was almost impossible for any merclumt, when ordering goods, to reckon what the duty would be. Mr Fowlds showed certain samples of silesia, which paid 10 per cent., and samples of the same material slightly different in pattern, which paid 20 per cent., and said as a matter of fact both ought to have been free. He also flourished a sample which was submitted to the Customs at Auckland, and was charged 10 per cent, and when the matter was appealed to the Department in Wellington, the duty was made 20 per cent. Coloured cotton shirting was on the free list, but a cream shirting chanced to be submitted to the Department, and the Department held that it was no colour at all—it was wlute. All this was done wholly and solely to increase the amount of duties collectable.
Mr Tanner said the tariff had simply become a sport for the Customs export. He moved a reduction of £SO in the salary of the Customs expert to show the dissatisfaction of the House with the system which had grown up, but the motion was lost by 39 votes to 32.
Mr ilassey also pointed out some Customs anomalies, such as fencing wire being admitted free, while almost the -same wire for other purposes .such as binding hay and straw had to pay 20 per cent. The whole thing showed the necessity for a revision of the tariff.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume LX, Issue 11689, 16 September 1903, Page 8
Word Count
444CUSTOMS ANOMALIES. Press, Volume LX, Issue 11689, 16 September 1903, Page 8
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