LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 274, 15 August 1919, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

RAILWAY DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBILITIES THE POSITION OF THE PUBLIC. Sir.— May I crave space iu your widelycirculated paper tojentilate a grievance which has doubtless afflicted many others besides myself, and which demands some concortcd movement Wards, securing reform. Mv own personal experience has been as follows:—Early in April I shipped F.ome valuable stud rams by train—it matters 'little from where to where—but it was from Ixmginnds Siding to Waipukurau. On arrival of the train at its destination it was found Ihat two of the rams were missing, and. that the door of the truck had during the journey been broken down, thus admitting of tiie animals falling out while the train was in motion. At considerable trouble and expense I recovered one of the rams alive; of the oilier I. have been uuablo to. find any trace. After many weeks of effort to obtain redress from tho Railway Department, I am finally informed that "from further inquiries" the Department is satisfied "there is no doubt that tho door of the truck was broken as the result of the rams fighting while in tho truck. In the circumstances, and owing to the fact that rams ore accepted only at owuer's risk, the Department cannot accept any liability in the matter." Bring mysef.f quite as confidently convinced by ocular evidence that the door was 'broken "in" and not "out," and having had no previous intimation of any kind about rams being carried, only at owner's risk, I consulted my solicitor with a view to testing my claim in a court of iair. He, though a lawyer, being that ncKeirt work of God, an hov?st man, at once warned me against entering into any litigation with the Railway Department, Assuring me that owing to the special procedure involved and to tho protections enjoyed as a Slate concern, even a successful suit would probably cost me a deal more than I would recover, no matter how valuable the missing animal might

be. „ This came as ssmething of a revaation to me in my simplicity, but it surely se-sms a condition of things that should be altered? The Government has undertaken the business of a common currier, . and so far, as railway carriage is concerned has made a close monopoly of it. This 'being so, it seems monstrous that, when a just olaim is made, it should ho able to shelter itself behind ythe privilego of the Crown" and thus make proceedings so costly that they are quite out of the question, excepting where a very substantial sum is at issue, or a suitor has money to bum. Is this not a matter that should be taken up by some influential commercial organisation, and by the Farmers' Unions? It is a rather serious matter for 6ma!;l men to have the doors of our courts gf justice virtually closed to them. In the rurantiino I will seek such consolation as 'I may in a smile at the happy official inspiration which injected my rams, under such conditions, with the belligerency that is so rife among man- 1 kind. Who shall say after this that the railway officer lacks a romantic imagination ?-I am, etc., - FARMER. Hastings, August 8, 1919,