. John Bull's open door: a plea for it to be shut. leaving to both these opposingsides the pleasure of marshalling these figures in any way they thinkfit, the looker-on such as myself is reminded of the well-known saying** that figures will prove anything. I do not intend to weary you with any, as I amhoping to prove my case without them, but I would askyou to come back with me to the Long Room of theCustom House, and look round it. The illustration willhelp you, I hope, to realise the immense space required by thecountrys officials who are at the service of all importers, and I wouldask if it
. John Bull's open door: a plea for it to be shut. leaving to both these opposingsides the pleasure of marshalling these figures in any way they thinkfit, the looker-on such as myself is reminded of the well-known saying** that figures will prove anything. I do not intend to weary you with any, as I amhoping to prove my case without them, but I would askyou to come back with me to the Long Room of theCustom House, and look round it. The illustration willhelp you, I hope, to realise the immense space required by thecountrys officials who are at the service of all importers, and I wouldask if it has ever struck you who pays for the officials and theexpenses in connection with the Customs service. I must decline to accept the Free Traders retort that the cigars and dutiable goods pay for these heavy expenses,as it is very apparent to any one who gives the subject thesmallest thought, that the importers and dealers in theseforeign non-dutiable products, who get the benefit of theservices of this vast department of John Bulls business, pay. A PLEA FOR IT TO BE SHUT. 19 absolutely nothing towards the upkeep of the department. Were it so,that an import duty on the value of all goods was collected, theCustoms services would be then carried on on a proper businessfooting; but as it is now, it is really impossible for any commercialman to see any justice in the existing arrangements. It seems a most happy-go-lucky principle that onlyone section of the imported articles dealt with by the CustomsService should contribute to the upkeep of the country. Ihave always found that all business establishments in orderto prosper must make each transaction or item of businesspay its way, and no commercial firm can afford to conductits affairs on the principle in vogue in John Bulls Customsestablishment. 20 JOHN BULLS OPEN DOOR : CHAPTER V. Who pays for the upkeep of John BulTs Market ? Up to the present I have only dealt with the aspect of theforeigners use of the Customs department as a
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