THE CUSTOMS TARIFF. AN AMUSING INCIDENT.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 399, 4 September 1889, Page 5

THE CUSTOMS TARIFF. AN AMUSING INCIDENT.

Wellington, this day. An interview took place in tho Cabinet Room, Parliamentary Buildings, yesterday afternoon, between the Premier and a number of gentlemen representing the Chambers of Commerce of the colony. The deputation consisted of Messrs E. W. Mills, J. Dutbie, J. Duncan and D. Reid, of Wellington ; E. Withy, M.H.R., J. Ross (Sargood, Eweu and Co.), representing Auckland; Allen, M.H.Li, representing Dunedin. Mr J. H. Heaton put in an appearance, and soon made it plain that he lepresented his own interests and had nothing to do with tho Chamber of Commerce, for which he manifested the utmost contempt. Mr Mills, who acted as spokesman, called the attention of the Premier to a clause in a circular lately issued by the Customs Pepartment, the effect of which the deputation considered to be both vexatious and unjust. The clause in question reads as follows: "Seeing that the items in the tariff and decisions have been arranged alphabetically and published in a form accessible to all, also that all decisions areprinced and inculcated promptly after they are given, and considering that importers, their clerks and agents, if in doubt, can obtain the necessary information from the Collector or Landing Surveyor, the Commissioner is of opinion that the plea of ' mistake ' cannot be allowed, and that as apparently accidental omission, inadveitency, or non-compliance with the laws and regulations, if undisco\ered, results in lossto therevenue, release fiom penalty and forfeiture in the discovered cases must be conditional upon the payment of a fine, at. an addition to the amount of duty payable." Mr Mills proceeded to say the deputation thought the authority now held by the Collector of Customs was sufficient to meet the requirements of the case. The officials admitted that the tariff was exceedingly difficult to interpret, and the errors that had occurred under it were of a minimum nature. The officials themselves of ten were unable to interpret thelarifl'. It wasnotreasonable under the circumstances that the importers should, because a mistake was made, be called upon to write long explanatory letters to the Department, and submit to long delays. In cases where fraud was attempted with the object iof avoiding payment of the proper duty, the collectors should have power to settle the difficulties l-ather than have to refer in e\ery instance to a higher authority. The Premier said he found that a large numbei of merchants took no notice of the decisions of the Commissioner, but would go on as they had been accustomed to do. In one part he found it thrown in his teeth that goods which were being charged there were fiee in some other parts of the colony. If there weie to be six interpretations of the tariff in diiferent parts of the colony, such anomalies were bound to occur. Though desirous of allowing the tariff to work as easily as possible, he could not agiee to allow a complicated point to be interpreted separately by six or seven men. The circular in question only related to off'ence3 against the tariff, not to mere errors. Mr Withy quoted a suggestion made by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, that I an expert should be appointed for each port to decide knotty points. The Premier said he could not agree to that, nor could he allow the various collectors to agree for him there. Mr J. H. Heaton here bounded into the room, laden with a huge file of invoices, memos, etc. The Premier, in answer to members of deputation, referred to the mistakes which led to the recent Christchurch prosecutions, and said that whenever an error occurred, it was attributed to an unfortunate mistake. Wherever an obvious mistake happened the Department took no action, but whenever something happened which, in the opinion of the Committee, was a "mistake to disadvantage of the revenue, tho importer must either pay a fine or contest tho case in Court, whichever he preferred. Custom-houses were always making " mistakes," and of a kind that they lost by them. He took power to deal with palpable wrong-doing, and of course hooverlooked real mistakes. Mr Heaton, who had stood by quietly for some minutes, here stepped forward, melodramatically deposited his heap of papers on the table, and addressing the Premier formally as " Sir Harry Atkinson, the Premier of New Zeeland — Sir," proceeded to unfold his own grievance. Ib seemed that having made a slight mistake in passing an entry, he had to write a letter of explanation to the Department and pay for the mistake. He complained that this was humiliating to him as an experienced Customs ajjent and former steamboat purser, especially as he had only carried out the directions of the official. In fact;, it was altogether insulting to require him to do so. It was quite impossible to avoid errors. After Mr Heaton had spoken in an indignant strain for about ten minutes, Mr Mills interrupted and asked him to kindly bring his remarks to a close, as the members of the deputation wanted to get away. Mr Heaton: "I don't know anything about the deputation wanting to get away." Mr Duthie : " This is not, Sir Harry, any part of the deputation that asked for an interview. Mr Heaton is entirely representing himself in the matter." Mr Heaton: "I think a deputation to the Premier of New Zealand is free to everyone." The Premier: "That all depends. I understood these gentlemen to be complaining about a circular which you tell me you have not read." Mr Mills, for the deputation, explained that they wanted to get away. Mr Heaton: "Two or three minutes' explanation by me won't make any difference. A deputation of this kind should represent the community, not the Chamber of Commerce." Mr Mills : " The gentlemen present represent the Chambers of Commerce of the ; colony,"

Mr Hoaton declared ho represented the gentlemen of Wellington, and expressed his contempt for Chambers "of Commerce. Mr Duncan thought Mr Heaton should take another opportunity of airing his griovance. Mr Heaton evidently preferred to avail himself of the present time, and proceeded to dilate upon his grievance, until the Premier interrupted him with " What is it you wish to arrive at ?" Mr Heaton explained his feelings of humiliation at having to explain any error he had made, and ho declarocl the Customhouse expert to be a myth. The Premier : " Hardly a myth, if he has donoall this." Mr Heaton asked that except where a very glaring mistake occurred, posbentries should be allowed. Mr Allen asked whether the Premier could see his way to withdraw the circular as dosired by the Dunedin Chamber of Commence The Premier said he could nob. Mr Ross pointed out that difficulty arose from the fact that different firms at Homo applied different trade names bo tho same goods. The Promier said in that case the consignee would be treated in the same way as Mr Hoabon was. In reply bo Mr Heaton, he said when in doubt importers should go to the Custom House officials for information, but strictly bo their solicitors. Every man, especially a Customs agent, was supposed to know the law. If ho did not, thon he had bo suffer for ib ; bub this was a complicated law, and they had to administer it as lighbly as possible. Mr Heaton a&ked whether, when passing an entry if one was in doubt as to its contents, it was &ufticiono to write against ib in red ink " examine for the importer's information." Would that be enough to protect the importer from liability ? The Premier: "I think so without the least doubt." Mr Buthie thought the circular was as involved as an Act of Parliament. The Premier, laughingly : "We ought almost to say as a borough by-law (general laughter, Mr Duthie boing local Mayor). I admit the first charge of course" In concluding the interview the Premier promised to carefully consider the circular with a view to removing any ambiguity which appeared to have alarmed the deputation ; but some further departure was about to be made. All he wanted to do was to collect the duties fairly and treat all alike.