CUSTOMS FRAUDS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1869, 1 October 1913, Page 7

CUSTOMS FRAUDS.

THE MOTOR-CAR CASE.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, September 29. The hearing of tho charges against Ralph Milburn, Walter John Kemsley, Edward William Idle, Bruce Anthony Outhbertson, and Alfred l Edward Kemsley, of conspiring with Raymond Ewart Kemsley, William Crowle, Cecil Thomas Bray, Charles: Brown Kellow, Isaac Phizackerley, and others to defraud Hisi Majesty's Customs of duty on motor-cars, cycles, tyres, and accessories imported into Australia by means of false invoices and declarations, between January, 1905, and Juno, 1910, has been resumed. Tho witness Neale, further crossexamined by defendants' counsel, produced a letter, dated Juno, 1910, in wliich Tozer, Kemsley, and Fisher wrote to the manufacturer that invoice's with split-up values were not favoured by tho Australian Government. Tho letter enclosed instructions for the correct preparation of invoices. This, apparently, was tho result of a letter from Dr. Wollaston, under date February 24 ; 1910, warning Tozer, Kemsley, and Fisher. Nealo explained: that the decision to prosecute was due to tho firm's refusal to give information tho High Commissioner required. Nealo stated that he had documents suggesting that leading manufacturers had done wrong.

. Neale previously stated that Clement Talbot wrote to Tozer, Kennedy, and Fisher, .very injudiciously, to supply second-hand invoices ' for Customs purposes. ■ Neale added that prior to 1907 the Customs in Sydney had not checked the invoices by the catalogues. Crossexamined, ho admitted that Tozer discussed_ in October, 1910, with the High Commissioner's Department the method of invoicing. Tho cross-examination suggested that many changes in the Customs' decision had made the matter complex. ■