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Evening Star, Issue 7183, 11 April 1887, Page 2

The Victorian Commissioner-of Customs ordered the officers ,of his department to seize..two bales; of leather, it being alleged they had been wrongly invoiced for the purpose of being admitted. free, Bowron Brothers, of Christchurch, manufacturers of leather, sent to Melbourne two bales of what was described as “ shumac tanned sheepskins,” which is admitted free. The : Customs officers, on examining the bales of goods, detained them on the ground that they were really what is generally described as “ other leather,” on which a duty of 25 per cent, is imposed. The Commissioner communicated with the consignees, and he, on being acquainted with what was suspected, refused to touch the packages, on the ground that the New Zealand exporter had wrongly described the goods. The Commissioner thereupon placed himself in communication with idle exporters in Christchurch, and. they alleged they were entirely innocent of any attempt at fraud. , The consignees still refusing to take delivery, the Commissioner, after another careful inquiry into the matter, being satisfied that Bowron Brothers had misdescribed the leather, determined th%t the goods; which were valued at L3O, should be forfeited, and gave ah order for the seizure. '"s