AUSTRALIAN CUSTOMS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16913, 9 December 1920, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN CUSTOMS.

AND THE EXCHANGE PROBLEM. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. (Received Dec. 9, 9.25 a.m.) SIDNEY, Deo. 9, In connection with the High Court’s decision regarding the levying of duties on imported goods, important questions have arisen as to whether, in view of the ruling of tho court, duties which the Customs has been levying in excess of the actual rate of exchange-shall be refunded, as probably most goods levied Upoli have passed out of the -hands of importers at prices allowing for the full rates of exchange. It is considered" impracticable \ to make a refund and not improbable that Parliament will be asked to indemnify the Customs Department for any collections wrongfully made. As regards countries where the rate of exchange has depreciated, like the United States and Japan, the Customs Department Is applying tho same principle a? where the exchange rate has appreciated, and therefore it has collected less duty than it should have done. In the latter case it is considered unlikely that the Customs will ask importers of American and Japanese goods to make good the duties collected short. It is likely that the decision of the Court, will apply to all future importations from both countries. The legal aspect of the whole position is being considered.— AU3.-N.fs. Cable Assn.