A6 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, November 20, 1996 Post slams door on illegal acts THE TAXMEN and merchants are happy in Stewart, | Sales of alcohol and tobacco in the com- munity have soared since the federal government re-opened a customs post on the border with Hyder, Alaska in Sepiem- ber. Stewarl’s liquor store rung up sales of $56,685 in September compared to $50,121 last September, And. cigarette purchases at the town’s lamest food store have jumped from an average $8,000 a month to more than $30,000 a month, All that means the federal and provincial governments are reclaiming tax revenues lost from the smuggling of undeclared goods across the border, says a Canada Customs official. “The issue was to level the playing field and to support the Canadian economy,” said Dan McGrath last week. Charlie Fenner at Bob’s Mercantile gro- cery store in Stewart agrees, “Everybody’s (cigarette) sales are way up, We're now well over $30,000 a month and that tells me something,’” he said. “Vm paying for their wages,” he noted of the Canada Customs people now in Stewart to man the border post. “They had turned a blind eye to this sort of thing,’’ said Fenner of the traffic in un- declared goods over the nearly 10 year gap in having a post at the border. Stewart .mayor~ Andy Burton ack- nowledges that cigarette and alcohol sales are up in Stewart but says the figures don’t match the several millions of tax dollars a year officials said went missing. “The smuggling wasn’t a local problem, not when you consider the truckloads of cigarettes that went across the border to other places,”’ he said. And despite agreeing that a customs post was needed, Burton said Stewart residents have lost a little something. *{ guess [’m too much of a redneck. I don’t like the little bils of freedom that are taken away.’’ “*] understand the need but it’s taken something away from our lifestyle,’’ said James W. Radelet Phone: 604-689-0878 y ® RADELET & COM PANY Barristers & Selicitors Tax Laws Trusts + Corporate & Commercial 1330 - 1075 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, B.C, VEE 3C9 Fax: 604-689-1386 Your Decor Terrace Carpet Centre Ltd. 3202 Munroe St. at Hwy. 16 W., Terrace 635-2976 * 1-800-665-1657 Burton of the open border. Customs official McGrath said just over 12,000 vehicles and more than 20,500 people went through the post In its first two months of operation. - ‘When ihe post wasn't there and there was a 1-800 number to call in and report, we weren't even getling five per cent of those numbers,’’ said McGrath. Officials collected $4,900 in duties, con- ducted 18 seizures and fined five people $100 each for [ailing to stop. ’ Those aren’t large numbers and point to the effectiveness of the post, said McGrath. ‘People are obviously aware of what the law is;”’ he said. No firearms were seized bul a knife, a crossbow and a martial arts throwing slar were taken away. There were also three small marijuna seizures. McGrath ‘said Customs officers also do immigration work and will report suspected impaired drivers ta the RCMP in Stewart. Although the post was to shifi from a 24- hour a day opening when fall came to 12 hours a day, itll. stay open around the clock. . The decision to slay open around the clock was made after speaking to people in Stewart, said McGrath. That’s also meant an increase from four io five in the number of Customs officials in Stewart, wkkkk The officers are cutting Canadian grocery shoppers a bit of slack when crossing the newly-opened border post. Generally speaking they won’t charge duties when that amount comes to less than $3 an the value of groceries purchased, Says a customs official. “This is not to say we won't charge duty but this is a guideline depending upon what's in the bag,”’ said Dan McGrath. The post is a two-year experiment designed to cut down on the significant smuggling of alcohol and tobacco from Hyder into Canada, McGrath said response from those cross- ing the border has been encouraging, THOSE -CROSSING into counter Mary-Ann Shea or that Canada Custems has at the border, It's a two-year experiment and custams officers say they're happy with results so far, a ceereearere rpareap enarecnreange scene CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD " Hyder, Alaska will en- one of her colleagues now brought back an entry part “The overall feeling is that people are glad to see us back,”’ he added. McGrath did note that regulated duties and taxes on other goods do apply at the border. There’s a $50 exemption ifa person stays for a minimum af 24 hours, a $200 exemption for a minimum 48-hour stay and a $500 exemption for a minimum seven-day stay. Duty-free tobacco and alcohol provisions apply to those Staying at least a minimum of The maximum amount that can be brought back duly- free is a carton of cigarettes or 200 grams of tobacco, 1.14 litres of alcohol or wine and/or 24 12-ounce cans of beer, 48 hours, The Mail Bag Pay for it yourself Dear Sir: The demands for language instruction in Punjabi by Mr, Ravi Gill and others must be viewed for what they really are — an altempt to get someone else to pay for the furtherance of their own culture. It certainly won’t be of any assistance to the gradu- ates as they make their way in a world dominated by trade with English-speaking Americans, the Chinese, and all of our Spanish-speaking NAFTA partners, Even more galling is the fact that money from the public purse would be allocated to a small and exclu- sive group, many of whom are already fluent in that language. You, Mr. Gill, are demanding that the taxpaying ma- jorily foot the bill so that you can further the cultural interests of what amounts to a private club, I respect your desire to pass on ta your race your na- tive Janguage. And you in tum should respect the tax- paying majority, and pay for it yourself. Rob Hargrove, Terrace, B.C, We don’t deserve this Dear Sir: Few would dispute the greatest proportion of the tax burden in this country is carried by the former middle class — rapidly becoming the working poor. Voters everywhere ask four basic things of elected officials: honesty, tax us fairly, spend our money wise- ly and fight for our share of the government’s largess. When we elect a person to Victoria, the minimum we expect is that in return for the hardworking men and women of this riding having to make sacrifices for the good of the entire province, some offsets or compensa- tion for those sacrifices. MLA Helmut Giesbrecht has sat in the legislature while the government gave a huge tax break to the rail- ways without figuring out how the tax shortfall would be made up for the city and regional district, canceled the Windy Cragy mining project, initialed the Nisga’a land claims settlement, canceled the Kemano Comple- tion Project and confiscated half the money in the Forest Renewal Fund without debating the merits. For or against those decisions, one thing is crystal clear — we ia the northwest comer of this province have made a huge sacrifice and are going to pay dearly. Peter Wallin, Terrace, B.C. LAZELLE PLAZA SHO LATE NIGHT PPING Friday, November 22 Participating merchants open until 10 pm Nyce Lady D & Bridal Shop Every suii on sale and Selected dresses & Lingerie Check out our Holiday wear redid @ ch HOME ENTER eg Grand Opening Door prizes Shadez of Hair Great stocking sttuffer ideas. $100 gift certificate draw a Bore ws 15% Draw for $100 gift certif all stock from 4 pm- 10 pm aM NORTHERN SAVINGS CREOIT UNION AVOID LINE UPS Try our new drive-thru ATM off icate. 20% - 50% off 2 © CENTRAL FLOWERS LOK off corey thing! Enter to Win $100 gift certificates from participating merchants Draw to be held Saturday, Nov. 23 an “a All '96 bikes & accessories 10 + 25% off. 1997 Soards & Bikes in stock!! ALL STOCK! Fico mittee coil purchase Excluding collectables balls ays taut UME tas’ BE BIKE ENTER THe — qe Am. 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