CUSTOMS APPOINTMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 14963, 24 August 1912, Page 5

CUSTOMS APPOINTMENT.

AN EXPERT FOR ENGLAND. [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, August 24. The Customs' export appointed to represent the New Zealand Customs Department in London is Mr Henry Richard Spence, Collector of Customs at Invercargill. Mr Spence will leave for London about the end of next month, and it is expected that his work there will secure many thousands of pounds of extra revenue for the Dominion. He will make inquiries go as to enable the dutiable value of imported goods to be more fairly assessed at this end, and also throw much light on the origin of imported goods, an aspect which is important in fixing the duty. There is reason to believe that goods como into New Zealand at the lowest rate of dutv, because they are improperly described a« being of British origin.' The work of the expert will probably take him on to the Continent occasionally to obtain information bearing on this point. He is also expected to afford valuable assistance to the New Zealand authorities in carrying out the law prohibiting the importation of prison-made goods. Mr Spence has been 30 years in the service. He was a landing surveyor at Auckland, and was appointed to take charge of the Customs Department at the Christohuxch/ International Exhibition in 1906. He has filled the position of collector at West-port and Invercargill. One of the executive of the New Zealand i Institute of Accountants> he is credited with possessing a remarkably wide and varied knowledge of invoices, discounts, and trade terms.