CUSTOMS PRECAUTIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 91, 14 October 1926, Page 6

CUSTOMS PRECAUTIONS

STATEMENT, BY COMMONWEALTH

MINISTER.

Following: upon, remarks' which were m? de .oy,.counsel, in a recent smuggling prosecilhbn;fearfehave been'entertained b.v, the travelling publito-that-a- much greater degree .of .-.stringency would, in future characterise Customs inquiries of passen--gers arriving at Australian ports (says the Sydney "^lorning-Herald:",),. and that embarrassing - inquisitions ■' would' result. .. These,fears,.were.set at.r.est by a'state- ■ menf made' ' by" the "Acting-Minister' ■for -Trade*, and'Cu'stoms--(Senator Crawford), which indicates that the Department considers that, its present precautions are'quite sufficient," and-'that, in.'the opinion. of officials, the production of false .invoices isl not a! coWmon offence. •; -. '

--,ReferriDg r ,.t9 0 the; charges which.1 were sustained .against Pauline .et Cie, of Melbourne, "Senator Cr'awfortl said: "The "Department of Trade and Customs has'; no reason whatever to think that the. practice of producing false invoices is a common one. Firms.with reputations to lose .vffifuld not tliittfc'1' oE indulging-;in sucli a 'method of defrauding tufereyenue, and, agart from, %c moral aspect ,iS the'case1, tftb'nsk ifr coiisi'derabley and''the puiiishment^ severe. The Department closely scrutinises every invoice presented, and is alive jto the fact? that false invoices rilay be used.i--'lt is constantly watchful on that account. A firm committing such an offence also places itself in the hands of any and. every.,.emp.lpyee,,.who- : may,, by. .i^..m;Jn-ft&^f£§w.oi,v^usmeßs«iJis-coVer'HStve' 'seerer Depaffineivt -was aware that the practice was common it would be shown by the Police^Court record, as in every case ,w,hen 'apfraud is alleged, the. practice is" tbinstitute-.a prosecution, .but., these' prosecutions.-are comparatively rare. It was- ascertained some little time ago that passengers '■ returning from abroad were in some instances ing'ißitMthemi,;oositßineßr..and'.hats:.cbhsidera.lily,?in..<ie3ce«ss> dlnordinavy and'.it-iasJn-owtrequißed-./thßfcJxiny/.-.pasSenger havingi-'a-n "uiidue'quantity -of-effects, shall make. a.-atatutovy--declaration.-as- to- the ownership of. the, goods and-the-use to which.,they-are-..t0 be put. Duty -is demanded and collected if the Department .is..not satisfied'•■;thSi,t theVarticles'-arebona fide, the personal prbperty,'"and for the individual use' of-, the 'ownef. ".■•■:'