DUTIES ON MOTOR-CARS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15513, 21 January 1914, Page 9

DUTIES ON MOTOR-CARS.

MERCHANTS EXONERATED. DISMISSAL OF CHARGESBy Telegraph— Association-J-Copyngat. (Received January 20, 6" p.m.) London, January 20. The charges against the four merchants who, it was alleged, made false declarations in connection with the price of motor-cars with a view to evading the Customs duties in Australia, have, been dismissed. :■_ .... Mr.- Bodkin, K.C.,:, for the .defence, submitted that Walter Kerneley had no knowledge, ; of the. transactions in Australia. -;■, The other defendants might have known, but not fraudulently. There was no evidence that their firm profited by the transactions- Neata evidence showed" that the values charged : to the Australian houses were, the same as the firm paid" to the: British manufacturers. The: .v:allegation that the prices of the, chassis w ; ere inflated was not supported;? TheGovernment between May, ISI2, and June, 1913, tried to get the firm. to give evidence against their. Australian clients. The defendants were, not called upon. _ » { yq ■iV.'4tv' ; '--^ The magistrate. saitir,he".v considered that, though tle'caseslwese proper subjects for inquiry-,: no,jlu?y would convict oh the": documents submitted in the, absence of : witnesses who alone were",.able to give evidence concerning the . transact tions to .which the documents referred. ..., Except- in the transaction of the Glement-Talbot. Company, no sucn evidence was called.' He* complimented Messrs. Neat'j£an-;Austra-lian Customs officer) (manager of the Company) for the fufiness, ~;frankness, and fairness of their evidence.