CUSTOMS TROUBLE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1482, 3 July 1912, Page 6

CUSTOMS TROUBLE.

TWO INTERESTING LETTERS,

On a subject of interest to commercial men in Wellington, the secretary reported to yesterday's meeting of tho Chamber of Commerce that 110 had written to the Secretary for Customs as follows Dear air,—Relative to tho writer's interview with you 011 Juno '1 (during which were discussed the matters of tho addition to invoices marked "net" of an assumed cash discount beforo duty ad v#:orcm on goods is assessed as required by Sections 55 to 58 of tho Customs Law Act, 1908, and of eschango of dratta drawn against such invoices), my chamber has had brought under its notice further complaints from Wellington firms, from which it would nppoar that tho Department lias given as a reason for adding 2! per cent, tho fact that tho goods were bought on GO days' sight draft. In tlio course of our conversation, 1 think it was agreed that tho fact how n particular parcel of goods \vas paid for (whether by sight, 30, GO, or 90 days' draft) did not enter into tho matter. I am instructed to ask, when explanation of this addition to net invoices is piven, if it can ba clearly stated that it is made to comply with tho sections of tlio Act quoted above, tho matter is causing considerable misapprehension in business circles."-

The Secretary of Customs replied that the Department had never given, as a reason for adding 2J per cent, as cash discount, tho fact tliot goods wcro bought on 00 days' sight draft uidess tho amount of exchange added made it apparent that cash had been paid for such goods in London. "Tho fact that a merchant in Now Zealand," said tlio letter, "pays by draft at 30, 00, or 90 days doc* not necessarily prove that tho munntacturei in England has not received a cash price for his goods cither through tho bank directly or through tho agency of a buyer in London. I do not sco why Uiero should l>e any misapprehension in business circles. Tliero is absolutely 110 need for it, unless HlO Customs agents or clerks of tho firms concerned themselves misrepresent the matter to their principals, or will not take the troublo to ascertain tho truo state of tho case, wliioh cither the Collector or tho Landing Surveyor will dearly explain to them if they will make inquiry."