FALLING- OFF OF CUSTOMS REVENUE.

Southland Times, Issue 740, 23 October 1867, Page 3

FALLING- OFF OF CUSTOMS REVENUE.

(TO THE EDITOB OF THE SOUTHLAND T1M83.) Sib,— l noticed in your issue of Monday a leader on the subject of imported goods having duty paid in Dunedin instead of Invercargiil. If our retail merchants continue to import duty paid goods, i.e., goods on which duty has been paid in any Provincial port other than that of Southland, they mil. to the same extent diminish -the consuming power of their customers, and kill the goose that lays their own golden e ggs. . _...., The question can be looked at in various aspects. If our merchants receive so great a boon through the importation of duty paid goods, we, the consumers, can get our goods from these outside merchants, and thus save the profit — twenty -five per cent. I am told as a rule — put into the pockets of our retail merchants, in addition to the boon above referred to. There is no difficulty in our getting duty paid goods from any port in the colony, and the opportunity presents itself as frequently to the consumers as to the merchants. Tbere is also another way of protecting the interests of the Province, and those doing so receiving a double benefit, viz., by the formation of a limited liability company, paying the duties to Captain Elles, and retailing the goods at such profit only as may be necessary to cover the expenses of management. The organization is simple. A good shop, a couple of respectable young men, and any number of five-pound shareholders, would be all that is required. "We all know the influence for good such co apanies have exercised in the home country. X*ours &c, Teadee.

(TO THE 101208 OP THB SOUTHLAND TIMES.) Sib, — I perceive your article in Monday's paper on the impropriety of [ importers here ordering their goods duty paid, has called forth an explanation in the News of to-day. It was a very great mistake of our wholesale dealers not securing the Lake trade when we had the chance of it, by selling at the same prices as the Dunedin merchants. I remember a friend of mine, who had one or two heavy waggons on the road at that time, stating to me that it was more profitable for him to drive to Dunedin from the Lake and buy his goods there, although he was four or five days longer on the road, than to buy in Invercargill ; the difference in cost amply repaid the longer cartage. Merchants here ought to be able to sell as low as those in Dunedin, and on equal terms. It certainly is a very palpable mistake to allow outside parties to come and take both the up-country and local trade out of their hands. By what I can hear, the smaller storekeeper imports that he may sell as cheap as his more monied neighbor : evidently if he could buy here on fair terms, it would be very much more convenient for him to do so. Of course I presume that the bulk of the packages imported are made up ; if not, the storekeeper is somewhat to blame for allowing Otago to receive the benefit of the revenue derived from dutiable goods. 1 have &c, Consumer. Oct. 22nd., 1867: