Mr. Redtape On The

Warpath

Futile and Ridiculous Taxes

Burden Of Pacific

Islands Trade

THERE is no end to the irritations and stupidities with which officialdom surrounds Pacific Islands trade.

We have dealt elsewhere with Mr.

Redtape’s attack on the Norfolk Island banana traffic. We will now give two incidents in the normal business life of a Sydney firm engaged in the Islands trade.

An Islands resident sent to Sydney for a replacement of an article that had been broken. So that there would be no mistake regarding size, etc., he sent along the broken article.

Mr. Redtape examined the broken article and, though it cut him to the heart, he had to acknowledge that it was entirely useless and valueless, and therefore non-dutiable.

But the article had been packed in a wooden box. Mr. Redtape’s piratical eye fell upon the box, and he whooped with joy. Here was something he could tax!

“Worth a lot of money, that ’ere case,” said Mr. Redtape.

The Islands agent groaned. “For God’s sake, take it away and give it to Mr. Scullin,” he begged. “I don’t want it.”

Mr. Redtape would not release the “consignment” until the box had been solemnly assessed and paid for. For three hours—half a day— a £6 per week Customs clerk was chasing round

with entries and arguments, clearing the case, and its broken and useless contents. And here is the Customs bill he had to pay: ... s. .. d. 30 per cent. duty on one case valued 2/6 .. 0 .10 2½ per cent. pimage duty on same ... 0 .. 1 2½ per cent. sales tax on same ... 0 .. 1 ... ———

Could anything be more utterly futile and ridiculous!

The next day this firm received from another Islands trader an order for goods. Instead of forwarding a cheque he sent a small bag of Australian silver coins—money that had been paid to him in small sums by travellers, and which he had no means of banking.

Mr. Redtape had a wonderful time with that bag of coins—he felt that, somehow, it ought to pay a primage duty of 2½ per cent. He could not get it into his thick head that there is no essential difference between money that comes in in a man’s pocket and a cheque that comes in by post, and a heap of coins that comes in in a bag.

The utterly fed-up merchant argued the point for three days. Mr. Redtape finally referred the matter to High Authority and High Authority told him, in effect, not to make an ass of himself. Even then, it is reported, Mr. Redtape spent a half hour of gloom over the consignment, wondering if he could tax the bag which contained the coins!

This is typical of what Islands traders are subject to.

Is it any wonder that ws are regarded as a nation of footlers, and that this valuable Pacific Islands trade shows so strong a tendency to drift away to other countries which conduct their affairs in a businesslike manner? ———