DUMPING DUTIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20924, 14 July 1931, Page 10

DUMPING DUTIES.

GOODS FROM AUSTRALIA. QUESTION OF LEGALITY. Further consideration is to be given by the Government to its policy regarding the legality of the exchange dumping duty levied by the Customs Department on imports from Australia. Instead of introducing amending legislation after a suggested test case in the Courts, the Government is considering dropping the appeal to the Courts. Considerable inquiry into the validity of the duty has been conducted by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, with a committee of the importers affected, and many protests have been made to the Government. On June 29, the Prime Minister, the lit. Hon. G. W. Forbes, supported the invitation of the Comptroller of Customs to take the matter to the Courts, when he advised the chamber that "the Government lias no objection to a case being brought in the Court to determine tho question of the application of section 11 of the Customs Amendment Act. 1921, but it would be understood that, owing to the importance of the matter to the economic welfare of the Dominion, the opinion of a single Judge, if adverse, could pot be accepted without appeal, and that if, in the' opinion of the Court of Appeal, tho department's action were contrary to law, it would be necessary to ask Parliament to pass legislation to givo the necessary authority."

A protest against this attitude was made by a meeting of importers, which urged the Government to take legislative authority to regularise tho position, and adjourned for 14 days for the Prime Minister's further reply. This was received yesterday in the following telegram from Mr. Forbes to the president of the chamber, Mr. A. M. Seaman:—" In view of representations made by your chamber, the Government, as soon as possible, will consider the question of introducing amending legislation without prior decision of the Courts."

Appreciation of the fact that the Customs Department had apparently recognised the unwisdom of the line of action it had Been following and that it was now endeavouring to adjust the matter on amicable lines was conveyed to the Prime Minister yesterday by Mr. Seaman.