HOW TO PREVENT FRAUDS ON THE CUSTOMS.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1101, 26 August 1873, Page 2

HOW TO PREVENT FRAUDS ON THE CUSTOMS.

Some misapprehension has been expressed that the new ad valorem duties will open a door for unprincipled traders to cheat the Customs Revenue. Referring thereto the Otago Daily Times writes thus:—There are certain classes of offences which the law very properly visits with special severity, because of the facilities offered by unavoidable circumstances, for their commission. The stealing of sheep turned out in the pastures to feed, and clothes from the line on which they have been hung out to dry, for instance, are among the number. It appears to us that the admitted evil inseparable from the system of ad valorem duties—viz, the special facilities it affords for the perpetration of frauds on the Customs Department—may well be regarded as also belonging to this class, and treated accordingly. If this were fully recognised and unmistakeably insisted upon by the Legislature, while the relative advantages and disadvantages of ad valorem as against measurement duties are under consideration, and a firm resolve expressed on all sides to attach some specially severe penalties to the violation of law in this particular respect, it might very materially lessen, if not wholly remove, the apprehensions of those whose main objection to the proposed change rests on an anticipated sacrifice of revenue, and the extra facility put in the way of the unprinincipled for the commission of fraud. Men who have fully resolved to defraud the general revenue of the Colony, have not arrived at that resolve all at once. There must have been many intermediate stages of temptation, inclination, fears of failure, hopes of success, &c, Ac: all implying calm reflection upon, and cool calculation of, the relative chances of failure and success. This done, plans have to be arranged, and means devised for carrying them into execution, thus giving yet another opportunity for principle to

ftssert itself, and Conscience to triumph Over temptation. During the whole of this time it would be well that there should be present to the wavering mind of individuals so situated the clear conviction that iu the event of detection such and such consequences would inevitably follow ; and that these consequences, moreover, should be of such a character as to constitute them a most powerful counteracting Weight to be thrown into the scale on the side of fight against wrong. The nature and degree of these punishments would be matter for consideration hereafter. In the meantime a general resolve that they should be specially severe would meet all present requirements. We may tcmark, however, en jwssant, that to be 'efficient they must include something niore than forfeiture and fine. As the "particular Crime detected may be but the one step in a long and successful course of villainy, by which the perpetrator *nay have been previously enriched, his 'opportunities of repeating the experiment should be by some means reduced in number, and rendered more difficult of attainment. With this view we would suggest the experiment of a wholesale deterrent influence of some kind of " Black List." Let every man know beforehand—let it be published on the official forms if you will—that •in case of conviction for fraud, and in addition to whatever other punishment be inflicted, his name, occupation and address would be liable to appear for so long a time in the Government Gazette of th> Colony, as chat of a man convicted, not of robbing an individual only, but of a more deliberate attack Upon the pockets of every man, woman and child in the community in which he lived. It seems to us than an intimation that some such wholesome legislation as this would be insisted upon con■cuitently with the adoption of the proposed change, would be productive of good, and clear away, to some extent at least, well-founded objections ro the system as proposed.