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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 301, 4 December 1884, Page 2

In a report recently submitted to the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, to which reference has already been made by telegraph, some curious anomalies in the Customs tariff are pointed out. The committee report:—-(r) That anomalies exist in the tariff which are a constant source of trouble to both importers and the Customs officers; (2) That many of the decisions given under it are inconsistent and contradictory ; (3) That goods in many instances are dutiable or exempt according to the purposes for which they are said to be intended to be used ; (4) That similar goods may be subject to duty at one port, and admitted free to another; and that from the nature of things this cannot always be guarded against, however careful and expert officers maybe; (5) That the uncertainty whether goods 'will be considered subject to duty or

not frequently causes loss to importers, as such goods are necessarily withheld from sale, pending the decision of the head of the department at Wellington. Attached to the report are a number of instances to verify the statements made, and we will cull a few examples, In drapery goods " drills ” in checks and stripes are admitted free, but if plain are charged 15 per cent. duty. “ Prussian binding” is dutiable if colored, free if black; but the same Dunedin firm simultaneously imported two lots at different ports, paying duty at one place and getting the goods in free at another. Cotton “ Italians " are dutiable,.‘but, mixed with wool,-are free, this causing the superior article to be sold at a lower price than the common one. Similarly, hair-seating is free, but imitation hair-seating is dutiable. Some kinds of buttons are free, some dutiable, and often a whole case has to be overhauled, gross by gross, to decide which are free. In cotton goods a number of articles declared .ee by the tariff are charged duty. “ Customs officers,” says the report, "are often influenced by the color, or the finish, or the pattern, as these are the only differences between one cotton print and another.” Flax sheeting, when stamped “ Dowlas,” is admitted free, but if not so stamped is dutiable. Blue twill is free, but other colors are not. By entering Hessians as for tailors’ use they can be imported free, ■otherwise duty is- charged. Jn diard,\vare spadesand sbpv'eh are frejf, but scoops, which are simply a kind of shovel, are dutiable. Reaping hooks are dutiable, scythes are free. Bolts and nuts are in the free list, but duty has to be paid on the washers used with them. Lawn mowers are free, but hand grass cutters are dutiable. Some shapes in taps are free, while others are not. We have by no means exhausted the list, but have culled the above as examples. A few instances coming under recent notice may be added. A saddler in Napier some time ago imported some tacks, used in saddles and harness. If they had been invoiced as “ saddlers’ tacks,” they would have been free, but they came as “ harness-makers’ tacks,” and were charged duty. In another case a surveyor imported an “ Ashantee hammock.” It came at the beginning of. summer, and he wanted it for camping out. But as no such article appeared in the list a difficulty arose. His agent successively suggested “ ropeware,” “ bedding,” “ netting,” and finally, in despair, “ arms and ammunition,” whereupon he was told by the solemn Collector not to be profane. The upshot was that the momentous question was remitted to Wellington for decision. When summer had gone, and the hammock was of no use,-the decision came—the thing was classed as “ fancy goods.” A gentleman once imported a surgical instrument, the like of which the Collector—this was in a southern town — had never seen. He would not pass it, and the article was impounded until the solons of Wellington were appealed to. They classed it, like the hammock, as “ fancy goods a term which seems to be made to cover a multitude of difficulties. The committee of the Dunedin Chamber spoke mildly when they concluded ;—“ We consider that a few alterations in the tariff, whereby the classification would be simplified, and a strict adherence to its provisions in its administration, would prevent much loss of time and labor to both importers and Customs officers, and remove most, if not all, the present perplexing anomalies, without in any way interfering with the principle on which it is based.