£1000 IN GOLD.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20621, 10 August 1932, Page 10

£IOOO IN GOLD.

A NEW ZEALAND SHIPMENT. SYDNEY COURTS INVOKED. (MIOH OUR OWW COEBESPOKDMIT.) SYDNEY, August 4. The law was invoked in Sydney to prevent th« shipment to New Zealand by the New South Wales police of broken gold, jewellery, and sovereigns to the total value of £IOOO. The proceedings in the Supreme Court, which granted the injunction against the Huddart, Parker Company, had an interesting beginning. In the first place the treasure was seized by the Customs authorities from Percy John Wince, as he came ashore on July 16th from a boat that had just arrived from Auckland. The matter was reported' to the police, and Wince was charged with having in his possession goods which, it was reasonable to suppose, had been stolen. Wince protested his innocence, and when his name was called at the Central Police Court, the police informed the Magistrate that they had no evidence to offer. Wince was immediately discharged. His solicitor then asked for an order for the return of the gold, which was being held by the police. He explained that Wince had merely carried the gold from the New Zealand representative of a Sydney firm of gold buyers. The solicitor understood that, a duty was imposed by New Zealand on the export of gold, and he admitted that that duty had not, been paid. It was the intention of the police to ship the gold back to New Zealand that day. The Sydney firm was quite willing to pay the duty to New Zealand, and in the circumstances he thought the Magistrate could make the order he had applied for. The Magistrate was not so certain of his power. He said it-was riot within his province, as far as he could see, to make any such order. He believed that the police officers knew what they were about, and if the parties concerned did not agree they were at liberty to apply to a higher tribunal. It was then that the application for an injunction was lodged in the Supreme Court, and tho injunction was granted within two hours and less than a quarter of an hour before the boat sailed for the Dominion. Later Wince was charged with being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of duty at Auckland, and on this he was remanded for a week, bail being allowed.

STEAMER PASSENGER SUSPECTED. (Received August 9th, 10.55 p.m.) SYDNEY, August 9. The police made a thorough Bearch of. a man's effects upon his arrival by the Zealandia in consequence of advke from Wellington. This person was suspected of smuggling gold out of New Zealand. No gold, however, was found and he was allowed to land.