CLAIM FOR RELIEF

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 112, 14 May 1930, Page 13

CLAIM FOR RELIEF

HIDES EXPOKT EMBARGO

WOOLSTON TANNERIES, LTD

- A, Commission of Inquiry sat in. thcS Supreme Court to-day'to inquire fur,thor into the claims for relief in respect ,to income-, tax of. Woolston ..Tanneries, Ltd. It was set out that, in conseqonce of. having reduced its prices on manufactured goods; during the period of the embargo on the export of hides, the company,'.working in conjunction ■with the Board of Trade, had been unable to create a reserve, and had incurred serious losses when the embargo was removed in February; 1920, and the prices of-hides rose, to a high level: • The company petitioned for a refund of the whole or such portion as might be considered just of the income.tax paid during the years.preceding the lifting of the embargo. V The-' Commission consisted of their Honours Mr. Justice Kced- (chairman), Mr. Justice Ostler, and Mr. Justice Blair. Mr. A. Gray, XC, 'with him Mr. W. N. Matthews, appeared for the petitioner, and Mr. P. B. Cookei with him Mr. C: H. Taylor, of the Crown Law Office, for the Crown. . ■ In opening his case, Mr. Gray said that the petition was that presented to the House of Representatives in 1923, and upon which a considerable amount of evidence was taken. The Committee to" which it was referred recommended it to the favourable consideration of the Government. In 1924, a Joint Committee of both Houses was set up. The company was not represented, its counsel haying-taken exception to the order of reference on the ground that it was not in- accordance with an undertaking given in correspondence between the Government and the company. The Committee came to the'conclusion that1 the company had not established a claim. In the same year, the company again petitioned the House of Representatives, and a favourable report was made, to the effect that a Judge of the Supreme Court should be appointed to inquire into the petition. This was done in 1926 by the late Sir John Hoskinff whoso findings were now before ■the Commision. After Sir John Hosking's report was.made,.'the company again petitioned the House of 'Representatives, and. the Committee again •favourably reported upon its case. In effect, continued Mr. Gray, the- proceedings to-day,were in the nature of a rehearing of the petition heard by. fenJohn Hosking, and, in a sense, an appeal from his findings.

(Proceeding.)