Islands
p. 12 · Read in the full issue
Smuggling In The
One Effect of New Hebrides Tariff
SMUGGLING appears to be a lost art in the world nowadays. International commerce is too closely checked, and borders and frontiers too closely guarded.
A little smuggling still goes on, but its volume is very small indeed compared with what is was 100 years ago.
The widely scattered territories of the Pacific, however, with their innumerable tariffs and countless small traders voyag ing from group to group, still offer op portunities for this form of enterprise, and a good deal of smuggling goes on in this area.
It is practically impossible to stop it.
There are about 14 separate and distinct administrations in the Pacific, and most of them are small and without facilities for keeping an adequate guard over their boundaries.
For many years, until recently, the cus toms duties imposed in these territories were negligible and, therefore, the smuggler had few chances to apply his craft. But in more recent times, since the depression created difficulties in the balancing of budgets, new tariffs have been imposed and existing tariffs have been increased, and there is little doubt that a number of people who have no respect for fiscal laws are reaping a modest harvest.
An example of this comes under notice in relation to the New Hebrides. Wher ever French governments rule, one finds ferocious tariffs, and the New Hebrides are no exception. There is a general tariff there of 12 per cent, ad valorem, but extra special duties are placed on such articles as whisky and cartridges.
Why this tariff has been placed on cart ridges is difficult to understand, for am munition is practically a necessity in that group. The effect is as might have been expected. Excellent cartridges are made in Australia and there is no doubt that very considerable consignments are pur chased in Australian ports, and are smuggled by devious ways into the New Hebrides, where they are sold at rates •which, while much under those obtaining in the main stores, still return a substan tial profit to tlje smugglers.
Probably as a result of this paragraph, the New Hebrides authorities will try to stop this traffic. We think that in the circumstances this is impossible. The only way to check smuggling is to re move oppressive duties—and that should be done in the case of cartridges in the New Hebrides.