PASSENGERS AND POSSIBLE DAMAGES

Chronicle (Levin), 20 September 1946, Page 3

PASSENGERS AND POSSIBLE DAMAGES

-Presa Association

By Telegraph —

\V ELLUN (JTUiN , ocpt, iU. A flriim tliat couditions now in vogue disentitle any passenger to claim damages where he has iio slatutory protoctiun, ia mude in connection with the Passeugera Kights Oonservatiou Bill, leave to introduce which noxt Wednesday, was souglit by the llon. P. J. U 'Uegun in the Legislative Council tliia afternoou. Tliis is the lirsl timo Ihis scssion in which leavo has been sought to intro- ' duee a Bill in the Upper llouse and in tcrest is addod by tfie laet tliat Uon. U'Kegan took t his step only a week ai'ter h-o had been aworn in as a Alember oi' the Council. It is explained that, according to a ; legal decision, a plaintiii, widow of a ■ passenger drov\ ned at sea in couso- : quenue of the alleged negligence of the . defendunt, could not maintain an action HK>r damages in respect of the death lier liusband for the reason that the • ticket evideucing the contraet of curriage had endorsed thereon a condition exempting the company from liability for injury by reason of any negligence. ' Since that case, it is slated, all shipping eompanies issue tiekets to passeu gors subject to exeulpatory couditions on lines similar to those printed on the ticket concerned in that particular cajse. Among the provisions of the Bill is one rendering invalid the exculpa tory couditions endorsed on fiassengers tiekets or otherwise expressod and a i'urther clauae lays it down that the 1 provisions oi the Bill are to prevail in . ovent of a conflict with provisions oi . other statutes. The provisions of the Bill are to ap ply to passengers by land, sea and air