OVER-REACHED THEMSELVES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1208, 24 July 1884, Page 3

OVER-REACHED THEMSELVES.

Your rery clever people—the word 'clever is used in the Yankee sense of the world “smart” —sometimes get a little too clever and over-reach themselves sadly. An instance of this cam# to light in Melbourne a few weeks ago. Messrs Hyman and bo., a firm in that city, received a consignment of five pianos from Hamburgh, and tluir clerk proceeded to clear them at the Customhouse in the usual way. The Customs authorities, alter examing the pianos and the documents submitted to them, were struck with the extraordinarily low price tt which they were invoiced. They remarked upon the fact to the consignees, when Messrs dyman and Co. at once admitted that they were too «na»p, and good-humortdly offered to pay any iuorease of duty which the authorities might think was right. To their consternation the Collector ol Customs declined to accept the extra duty, but intimated his intention to take advantage of the Act, and purchase th«m for the Government at the invoice price, with 10 per cent added. In spite of protests and pleading* on the part of the importers this was done, and the pianos were sent for auction to Messrs M. Clure, Valentine and Co. They wr re put in by the Customs at the following upset prices :—LIS, L2O, L 25, L2O, L 25 ; and these are the prices they realised : L 45, L 62. L 66, L7O, and LB6 respective'y. As the upset figures probably represented a profit to the Government after adding the 10 per cent to the invoiced prices, it follows that the instruments w>*re placed on the invoices at about one-tbird of their value* It would have been a good bit

of business had the little game worked out properly, but as it turned out that shipment was a bad one for Messrs Hyman and Go.