EVADING THE CUSTOMS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 233, 19 September 1911, Page 3

EVADING THE CUSTOMS.

A SYDNEY VISITOR FINED. [PEK I’ltuss A«snci.vno:<.] AVellington, Sept. 18. On the information of Air. Charles S. Nixon. Collector of Customs, Sussannah Hussey, a middleaged woman, who arrived in AA ellington from Sydney by the A\ arrimoo on the Gth instant, was charged at tlie Magistrate's Court before Mr. \V. G. Riddell. S.M., to-day. with evasion <>f Customs duty. It was alleged in the information that the defendant had dutiable goods of the value of £‘2<> in her possession, but on being asked to declare by a Customs officer she denied possession of anything il’.itia*>le. The (. ustoms Department therefore claimed £79 1 -. wliiiih amount v. as arrived at by adding Id per cent to the value of the goods, plus the actual duty payable, and then multiplying the total amount by three. Mr. T. M. Wilford drew attention to the way in which tlie £i9 t.-’was arrived nt. and asked the Magistrate to reduce the amount to £6O. being three times the value of the goods.

It was pointed out however, that the amount was arrived at in aceotdanee with the Act. Counsel then said that there was no intention on the part of his client to evade payment of duty. When she left England she hail in her possession some household linen which had not been used. Her brother in New Zealand had advised her that such goods were not dutiable, and when the Customs officer approached her in AVellington she honestly believed that she had nothing to declare. Counsel asked his Worship to use the discretionary power he had under the Customs Act and reduce the amount of the line to •>ne-foiirth of the total amount.

Magistrate said the amount of the fine was fixed by the statute. Defendant would lie convicted and fined £79 1-. which amount, however, would be reduced to £l9 16.-. The fin-’ was immediately paid.