DUTY ON VOLUNTEER UNIFORMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 768, 27 September 1878, Page 2

DUTY ON VOLUNTEER UNIFORMS.

nr, The Oamaru Artillery Volunteers havinc; been compelled to pay LIT 10s yd as Customs duty on their new uniforms, have bean endeavoring, through the Commanding Officer of the district, to obtain a refund of the amount. The effort has, however, proved unavailing, as the fe!lowinc- correspondence will show . To Major Stovrsid. jryttinsr a refund of LIT 10- ."•(.(, I- inn the amount paid fur dMy on >'o!nnteerc-kili]iii:,\ 1 her- to hand you reply received front the Gcnernmen?, which, I T-t"Tf! , js not sosarisfrctorv 'cs 1 should li.-u- v.isiied. Yours. «...-., s. K. s;i;;!y-:.i. September 2:;ni, 1.-7 S. Remission of Duty on Volunteer I niiuims. Hon. Commissioner 01 Customs. ISO )<>ii<ra™-o.as May. l?Co, iln.- late Croshk- Ward applied for remission of duty on uniforms imported for the Canterbury Volunteers. .Mr W. Richmond ira« at that time Commissioner of Customs, and he directed reply to be triven to the following- effect. : -" Materials imported by Volunteers for their uniforms do not come under the? le.tral definition of Supplies for 11.M. Lend and Sea Forces. The Government recognise the propriety of encouraging the \'olunteer Corps: but th.e proposed remi-sioii of dufv is a verv iiic.iu-.vnieiit mode of aiVo din- aid to such bodies, would -itford no sensible relief to the members of the Corps, and would, besides operate nneipialh . as manv sucli bodi-'S have already obtained duty-paid elot'bim;- in the Colonv." Numerous applications have from lime m time been made on behalf ..f Volunteers in various pans of the c.loiiy P. be allowed to import their uniforms duly free, but successive Governments have aiwavs refused to entertain such applications, as it has been' he'd that there is no le-al auilmritv to permit smell elotbine- to be ini],orted free of dutv : and to add such an e\emotion of the laritt' would be unfair to them who have paid ilitfv in I In- past. \V. Si-. -[.. Septembto-oili. Ws.