SMUGGLED CAMEOS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 186, 24 July 1923, Page 7

SMUGGLED CAMEOS.

CHARGE AGAINST ITALIAN. Wellington, July 23. All interesting case of an Italian fisherman. Francesco Cataldo, charged with smuggling 200 cameos into New Zealand and unshipping them here without a permit, wag, heard before Mr E. Page, S.M. The Crown Prosqcutor. Mr. P. S. K. iL’acassey, conducted the case for the prosecution, and the defendant was rejresonted by' Mr. J. S. Hanna. Mr. Macassey said the defendant had arrived in New Zealand from Italy on June 6, 1921, and had 200 cameos in' .is possession, 104 of which he sold to □cal jeweller's. The case was then wrought under the notice of the Cusoms Department, and the greater mmber of the cameos were recovered. Basil Warring, a clerk in the Customs Office, gave evidence that the Customs Duties Act, 1908, imposed a duty on all goods imported, with ceriain exceptions. On various fancy goods the duty was 30 per cent. The cameos imported were classed as fancy goods and this had been the case for the past 15 years. According to the Finance Act. 1915, a duty of 1 per cent was due on all goods imported into New Zealand. In June. 1923. the Minister definitely stated that cameos made from ahell were fancy goods. Mr. McLaurin. Collector of Customs, said cameos were classed as fancy goods by the head office in 1882. and duty had been paid on cameos for the past forty years. The purchaser of the cameos said she had no idea at the time of the purchase that the goods had not been through the Customs. The defendant said he purchased the stones from a boat which came alongside the steamer at Naples. Decision wa#