THE MOTOR-CAR CASE.

Mataura Ensign, 30 September 1913, Page 5

THE MOTOR-CAR CASE.

ALLEGED CUSTOMS FRAUDS. BT ELECi'RIO TELEGKAPH COI'IEIGHT. I'EK UNITED I'IIESS ASSOCIATION. Received September 30, 10 a.m. LONDON, Sept. 29. The hearing of the charges against Ralph Mil-burn, Walter John Kemsley, Edward William Idle, Bruce Anthony Outhbertson, and Alfred Edward Kemsley, of conspiring with Raymond Ewart Kemsley, William Crowle, Cecil Thomas' Bray, Charles Brown Kellow, Isaac Phizackerley, and others to defraud His Majesty's Customs of duty on motorcars, cycles, tyres, and accessories imported into Australia, by means of false invoices and declarations, between January, 1905, and June, 1910, was resumed. A witness named Neale, when crossexamined by defendant's counsel, produced a letter dated June 1, 1910, wherein Tozors wrote to a manufacturer stating that invoices with split-up values were not favored by the Australian Government. The letter enclosed instructions for the correct preparation of invoices. This was apparently the result of a letter from Dr Wollaston (Comptroller-General and Permanent Head of the Department of Trade and Customs in Australia) dated February 24, 1910, warning Tozers. Neale explained that the decision to prosecute was due to Toners' refusal to give the information which the High Commissioner required. Neale stated that he had documents suggesting that leading manufacturers had done wrong.

At the former hearing Neale crave evidence that Clement Talbot wrote to Tozer, Kennedy, and Fisher, very injudiciously to supply second-hand invoices for Customs purposes. i\oale added that prior to 1907 the Customs in Sydnev had not checked the invoices by the catalogues. Cross-examined, he admitted that Tozor discussed in October, 1910, with the High Commissioner's Department the method of invoicing. The cross-examination suggested that many changes in the Customs decision had made the matter complex. Mr Fulton, counsel for the Commonwealth Government, in opening the case, said that the firm of Tozor, Kemaley and Fisher persuaded certain English manufacturers to falsify invoices, and pass them on to the Kemsley Company Proprietary who in turn sent them to Australia, The Kcmsley Proprietary controlled all the agencies ior the principal cars in the Commonwealth. Counsel then explained the nature of the proceedings which had taken place in Australia. The action was prompted by the Federal Customs Department, Jho exFederal Minister for Customs recently remarked: "It is a, continuation of the which were heard here. Ihe r Jomptroller-Gcneral of Customs (Mr Loekyer) stilted that the proceedings ,vere the nccossary outcome of recent prosecutions which had been launched n Australia against a number of importers of motor-cars. In connection ,vith these a large amount ot duty had teen recovered. The action ui lyigand had been taken _hy the Customs department on tho advice ot the federal }ro\vn Law authorities.