NUTS—EDIBLE AND OTHERWISE.
Customs officials (says tho "Ago") have bean laughing merrily over the serious treatment accorekd by a correspondent, writing over tho not quite novel nom-de-plume of "Importer/ , to ono of the departmental "chestnuts." In. tho course of his letter, 'Importer" wrote: —"Could anything be funmier than charging steel mite under the bead! of -edibleP"' Certainly nothing could, be funnier—were t•'•••© story new. As it is the story is quite twenty years' old. Its origin is as follows:—About twenty years ago an isolated . Customs officer at a small port in Queensland noticed the item "Nuts, 10 per cent," in a copy of tho new local tariff that had l been sent to him. As a ship wa£ about to enter tho port with some iron goods aboard, he wired to Brisbane, "Does 'nuts' include steel n-ute?" The official who received tho wrre at the Brisbane Custom-house was a bit of a wag, so telegraphed, as answer, "Yes, if you can orack thorn . with your teeth."
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13102, 29 April 1908, Page 7
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166NUTS—EDIBLE AND OTHERWISE. Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13102, 29 April 1908, Page 7
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