THE CUSTOM HOUSE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3138, 19 July 1881, Page 3

THE CUSTOM HOUSE.

[To thb Editor of the Daily Telegraph.] Sir,—l notice that the question of moving the Custom House from the port to the town is again mooted. Well, Sir, I submit that this is a most absurd suggestion—the idea of taking the " Customs " from the shipping to a place two miles distant! lam aware that you can quote Christchurch and Lyttelton as an example, but you must allow tbet the circumstances are not at all parallel—l may almost say that the whole of the Canterbury trade is transacted at Christchurch, and I may almost say that the whole of the goods when first disposed of are sold and delivered from Christchurch, therefore the Custom House is conveniently situated at the railway station there. But even this necessitates a branch establishment at Lyttelton. Dunedin and Port Chalmers are situated in the same position. Now here the facts are very dissimilar. Any person of common sense must know that it is cheaper to have goods delivered from the port by carta at your door than to send goods by rail, and that you must have some person to attend to the receival of goods at the Spit, an agent or otherwise, and it entails no extra expense to pay duties there, especially as you are and will be obliged to pay your wharfage freights, etc., there. And, again, it must be remembered that the Custom House at the Spit suits country people far better at the Spit than it would at town, because the goods belonging to them are loaded into railway trucks immediately after landing, the person acting as agent also acting as agent for the payment of duties and other charges at the Spit. It must also be remembered that the Napier tradesmen do nothing approaching the whole trade of the place, and as regards the country almost nil. The country importers, private and otherwise, have also their right to demand that the Custom House shall be placed in the most convenient position, which is undoubtedly at the Spit. It may be fairly assumed that the Government, before taking into consideration any petition suggesting the removal of the Custom House, will naturally in these days of economy study the extra expense entailed. Should the removal take place I maintain that the cost of working the " Customs" here will be very materially increased. It will be absolutely necessary to continue the present establishment at the Spit, as the staff could not be reduced, excepting the collector, who would be peripatetically engaged between the town and the port. The town branch would require a clerk and an outdoor officer. Taking these circumstances into consideration I think any person asked to sign the petition by interested persons Bhould pause before doing so. Lastly I would aßk the Napier tradesmen if they think they would be convenienced by receiving their goods at the &pit and having to go away to tbe Napier railway station to pay their duties, for that is where the Custom House will be if a certain interested firm have their own way.—l am, &c, Country Tradesman. July 19, 1881.