RAILWAY RATES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19144, 29 October 1927, Page 16

RAILWAY RATES.

DELIVERY RISKS. A REDUCTION DESIRED. "This Conference considers that the ' increase by one-sixth of the ordinary rate to cover the Railway Department's risks for delivery of goods is excessive, and that the Department be urged to reduce same substantially." The above remit was moved at yesterday's session of the Conference of Assoi ciated Chambers of Commerce by Mr i A. E. Rosevear (Dunedin), who said that ! the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce j wanted to know why the Eailway Department should evado its responsibiliI ties any more than a common carrier. | The remit, he said, arose through one I of the Dunedin manufacturers addressi iug the Chamber drawing its attention to the fact that he had forwarded sev- | eral parcels of goods to Greymouth and j between Christchureh, and there some i of the parcels had been pillaged and the Railway refused responsibility. The j Railway stated that when goods were accepted a specific form of contract was provided by the use of the regulation consignment note upon which the consignor agreed to entrust the Department with the conveyance of his goods and binds himself to the conditions stated on the back of the consignment note. j It was there clearly set out that | when goods, live stock, parcels, or lugt gage were specified in the scale of | charges at "owner's risk," and »uch goods were charged at the ordinary rates, they would be received, held, and conveyed at the sole risk of the owner. If the" consignor wished them conveyed at the risk of the Railways Department he signified his intention in this regard by endorsing the consignment note "at Railway risk," in which case the rate j was increased by one-sixth of the ord- ! inary rates. j Claims Once Met. I In the past the Railway had met claims in full in order to retain the goodwill of its clients, but the amounts involved had reached such proportions that the concession of the full amount, had to be curtailed, and in some in- . stances where the loss had fallen heavily upon the consignor, and it had been made clear that he had been unaware of the conditions under which the goods had been carried, an amount equal to 50 per cent, of the claim had been paid. The Dunedin Chamber recognised that when its attention had been drawn to the conditions of the consignment note no legal liability rested with the Railway, but at the same time felt strongly that a moral claim rested npon them. ; It was also strongly felt that the Department should have notified by pub- . lie advertisement, or otherwise, its intention of holding itself so drastically: ■ to the legal position of the consignment .1 note. J

It was commonly reported that where the Railway was receiving strong opposition from the motor-lorry transport the Railway accepted full responsibility without any additional charge. The Dunedin Chamber, however, recognised the Railway's attitude, and said that a charge of one-sixth was out of all proportion to cover the responsibility, and therefore strongly urged the Department to reduce the charge to 21 per cent., or, at the very outside, 5 per cent, on the ordinary rate.

This was seconded by Mr J- McLean (Greymouth), who said that if there was a possible change of the Railway Department evading its obligations in this connexion it would always do so.

A Universal Practice. Mr Wilson, of the Railway Department, said that the practice complained of wa3 in operation on all systems of the world.

Mr H. C. Campbell (Dunedin) Baid that the Government had altered the freight on coal carried from the West Coast to Oiiago overnight in order to deal with the opposition of steamer transport, and consequently had obtained a monopoly in this business. In answer to a question, Mr Wilson said that it was apt a fact that the Department took responsibility where it had opposition to contend with. Mr W. Gow (Dunedin) said the Department should not make flesh of ono and fowl of another in cases of loss. He compared the. New Zealand system with that in practice in England. Mr Wilson said the circumstances of each case when claims were made were investigated. The competition of motor transport had no bearing. Most goodß were carried at owners' risk, and to carry them at the Department's risk would complicate tariffs. If the conference made representations tho Department would be prepared to consider them.

Mr A. G. Lunn (Auckland) said the Department had improved its methods during the past few years.

Mr Eosevear produced a consignment note which he said had some very unfair, provisions.

The remit was carried with a few dissentients.