DODGING THE CUSTOMS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 126, 29 May 1916, Page 2

DODGING THE CUSTOMS.

GERMAN GOODS STILT. COMING COLLUSION OF NEUTRALS EVIDENCE GIVEN TO BOARD OF TRADE. In the course of tie proceedings at tlie conference between the Board of Trade and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, to discuss post-war enemy trade problems complaint was made that despite the prohibition of eneun goods they were still coming into Ducountry in the guise of neutral goods. Several interesting examples were given. v One of the proposals of the Chamber of Commerce is that there shall be a certificate after the war declaring rh it the composition of the goods is at toast as to four-fifths bona-fide manufacture in the declared country of origin. At wrc’ent, and in the. past, it was coniplaised all kinds of foreign made goods are imported under British names, which are of alien make. ‘The Queen of th ( - Seas” and the “Bulldog 7 ’ brands , ’ , 'ere names attached to goods which had come through British and neutral exporters, were ostensibly British, nut really had been made in Germany, and merelv assembled in other countries. \n exact copy had been made of the British article, and people operating in Britain ! termed part of the conspiracy. A mom.her of the deputation suggested that in future representations should be made b\ the New Zealand Government to the British authorities where there was reason to suspect collusion by British exporters irr. representing German and other goods as of British make when they were merely assembled in the countrvj or wer e dumped there for re-exporta-tion.

Another instance given was that of thermometers for dairying purposes. The representative of a local firm, whilu in London, learned that his warehouse had run out.of this article, and he oaccordingly placed an order for an American make -which duly arrived. The acci dental breaking of one of the thermometers showed that although marked "Made in America.” the goods had come from Germany.

Another member of the deputation complained that, sparking plugs, ostensibly of American make had been arriving. The removal of a copper band by a buyer who was tinkering with it revealed the inscription, ‘‘Made in Germany. ■’ ’ Mr Hart (one of the members of the Board of Trade) asked whether a case of that kind would not render the importer to heavy penalties under the present law against German importations? Mr H. AW Hudson said that it was not necessary for the country of origin of every article imported to New Zealand to be declared. In Australia such dclaration was necessary. Another instance of local discovery of fraudulent importation was mentioned by one of the representatives of the Chamber of Commerce. A case of aecatenors marked “Made in Great Britain.’ which had been imported through America aroused the suspicions of a local expert, and investigations proved That they were of German origin.