EVASION OF THE CUSTOMS TARIFF.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 119, 7 January 1874, Page 2

EVASION OF THE CUSTOMS TARIFF.

The Wellington Independent says: It has come to the knowledge of the Customs authorities that certain mercantile firms in Australia are in the habit of supplying their customers with two invoices, one showing the true cost of the goods purchased, the’ other showing a considerable reduction, for the purpose, it is presumed, of enabling the consignee to exhibit to the Customs and to clear his goods at less than their real value. We understand that in all cases where the names of firms that act in this manner become known to the Government, the Customs officers throughout the colony will be instructed to take especial care to have the goods shipped by these firms properly examined, so that the revenue may not be defrauded by these spurious invoices. The precautions that the Customs officers may find it necessary to take in these cases may probably have the effect of inconveniencing the consignees; but, both for the purpose of protecting the revenue, and in justice to the honest trader, we think the authorities are fully warranted in adopting the most stringent measures possible to put a stop to the practice referred to. We ought, in connection with this subject, to have stated, for the benefit of storekeepers and others who purchase their supplies from importers, that the “ genuine and only ” invoice of goods which are subject to the ad valorem duty is now always stamped at the Custom House when presented with the import entry. Retailers, when purchasing goods at an advance on the invoice cost, would therefore do well to see that the genuineness of the invoice is verified in every case by the Customs stamp.