CARRIAGE OF TIMBER.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1374, 27 February 1912, Page 2

CARRIAGE OF TIMBER.

A KEW RAILWAY REGULATION. IDy TcJceraDli—Special Corrcsconflent.V ,'Grcymouth, February 26. Sawmillers are greatly exercised, over a new railway' regulation which was gazetted last week by the Minister. It is as follows-.— Where in any consignment note, way-bill, or other document required to be delivered in respect of any goods delivered upon a railway, there is any understatement of the quantity, ; weight, measurement, or value of the goods, or any misdescription of their nature, which 'if ' undetected might lead to. their being charged for at less than the proper rate, and whether the understatement or misdescription is wilful or not. there shall.be payable in respect of all the goods referred to in such document double the ordinary rate of ehame 011 the whole consignment. and these charges shall be payablo irrespective of any fine that may lio incurred under Sub-Section (1) of Section 2 of the Government: Railways Amendment Aet, 1910 (Xo. 2). The regulation, it will be noted, applies to all goods, and is now being enforced on the Westland section. It is, however,, in its operation in regard to the transport of timber that tho objection arises. Under the old arrangements, the Railway Department, if its officers thought that tho wagon contained mor.fi timber than the consignment nolo stilted, had the truck unloaded and the timber retallied. When remcasuring (he railway tallies avory inch in length, and does not, as the millers do, leave an inch or two for the carpenters to square when using. 'J'his way. of Rallying sometimes disclosed an understatement of two or three hundred feet.on the whole truck. For this understatement the miller was charged (Id. per 100 feet for discharging and reloading tho ivholo truck, which 011 11,000 ft. came 011 an average West Coast: freight of Is. per .100 to JS-. KK Double fivight was charged on the timber understated (say, 30(1. feet at 25., which equals Gs.), this bringing the total cost incurred to JKi Is. in addition to the ordinary freight. This impost is inflicted, too, where the misstatement is not wilful, as it is quite easy in tho hurrying incidental to sawmill work to mako a slight error. Under the new regulation the Department intends to charge Gd. pel' Iflflft. for unloading and tallying, and double freight on the whole consignment' if. an understatement, is found. This means that, in ea.-es where the shortage! represents 100 ft., or Gd., a fine equivalent to i:S will be inflicted. This is held to Ira out" of all reason, especially when the amount of timber is not deliberately understated, but is due entirely to. hurried clerical work. 'J'he Minister has been r.l'ved (0 remove the regulation and restore the old rule, ylhich, it is contended, amply safeguarded the Department against imposition.