WITHIN THE DOMINION

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 187, 17 April 1915, Page 5

WITHIN THE DOMINION

ONLY .-2S? V: R&^MBim;-:. ■■> i A»RO«i|iiion.— - .. .. ... ; - WELLINGTON; This Day. Only $39 , of. the Saraoan. garrison have- re-'enlisted. The number includes three majors, five captains, and nine lieutenants. go to the front with some of the reinforcement© ieaving at'jPl^rvals.

A HAIRBREADTH ESCAPE.

I 'i'-A TAIHAPE RESIDENT. WELLINGTON TRAM ACCIDENT. A narrow ©scape from serious injuries, if not deatlgwas experienced shortly after 2 p.m., yesterday by B. Webster a‘resident of Taihape who Is on a visit to Wellington. An Oriental Bay tramcar,No. 101, was proceeding southward along Lambton, opposite the Central Hotel, when Webster was crossing the' road. The motorman sounded his gong repeatedly, and slowed his car. H© was thrown violently, to the ground and disappeared under the front platform of th© ear. Motorman A. Lawrenson brought the car to a standstill within a few feet, and his promptitude saved Webster, The latter was caught and jammed by the lifeguard, but on being extracted appearlittle the worse for the accident, abl© to proceed l on his way. Thg motorman was heartily complimented by witnesses for his presence of mind,—N.Z. Times.

SHIPOWNERS’ LITTLE WAYS.

SOME LIGHT ON A DARK SUBJECT. DISCUSSION BY AUCKLAND CHAMBER. OP COMMERCE. AUCKLAND,. April 15. The council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce has set up a comEditee to endeavdur to secure the united action of other Chambers in securing an alteration in the terms of bills of lading issued-by shipping companies affecting their liability in regard to the delivery of goods in good order and condition. v ; ' ■ >vrc4 - Mr Robert; Burps,! President- of the Chamber* . v oceupiedH‘,the chair 1 at a meeting of th.e Chamber to-day*This meeting,”, .said Mr Bums,- "has been called at. the request of a considerable number of - importers, , who consider they have a legitimate grievance against sharping complies fior the manner in which they treat claims that are -jfSadei upon them " for damages to cargo. It appears that - shipping companies have, a fund into which they all SubscrA? to fight any claims which are made upon them for damage to cargo. This. fund was made to protect shipowners against, certain unfair claims which had been successfully made upon them and recovered, but now it looks as if .it had degenerated into a fund to dispute any-olaim, whether it-is a fair on e or not. Companies are now protecting themselves behind a number of clauses which they have lately inserted in the bills of lading. They have cladses in which*a company is not to be held liable for any inherent lefect in the vessel, and also for acts of the companies’ servants.

Captain Hood said companies relied rery much, on the “act of God” clause n their bills of lading in denying liability If a sailor kicked a bucket of mater which did damage to the cargo, diat was an “act of God,” The extension of protest by shipmasters—the ‘entering a protest”—being a declaraion before a solicitor to ensure that lability for damage to cargo after a term or such occurrence would not all on the shipowner, was held to be [legal He referred to a cas e in which vessel discharged cargo at Sydney, nd when she came on to Auckland a oil of cable was tied to a stanchion, nd the Jelling of the ship caused it > move frequently and break cargo, 'hat was a “peril of the sea,” acarding to the company, but the Court lied that it was improper stowage, i another case, damage by water was an 8 to the extent of £45. The shipng authorities claimed that a booby itch was washed away ,and great iantitie s of water came in, and the i,ptain entered a protest. As a matter fact it was discovered that the washg of the decks did the damage. That is not British fair play to the congnee A few weeks ago, a mail steamleft Marseilles, and the master, nota protest at each port, although ere was no bad weather. Claims ?r e thereby thrown out. Cargo was maged on another steamer through d stowage. The captain said in New aland that bad weather was the use but the English stevedores were missed. Nevertheless the cousign- ; were not reimbursed. Sometimes man saw the ship’s rsnresmUm ivc, o said: “Yes, that is a just claim.” © consignee concluded that the ira was to he admitted, yet inter on. ay • the claim had been referred to would be advised that in,g to captain having noted a test Jhe claim could not be alAow-

DErATH FROM BURNING.

I -•. v . AUCKLANP, This Day, -' A girl one year old, daughter of a Mr Dacre, a carpenter, ef HelensVllle, -was . badly burned • by. overturning a ■ spirit lamp alongside her bed. She died from the injuries. ' ’ i FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT, A PAHAUTANUI SETTLER KILLED ■ / WELLINGTON, This Day. ‘ • The man killed on the railway at! PaekakarikS last night has been identified as that of Charles Thoa. Boul-' ton, a weil known settler of Pahautanui. • ; - WRECK OF THE RAKIURA. , WELLINGTON; April 15. 'i The wreck of thd steamer Rakiura, formerly the -Rosie Casey, at Stephen Island yesterday, occurred with dramatic suddenness -the vessel struck a I rock within 20 yards of the shore at three minutes to five yesterday morning The crew. launched a boat and made for d’Urville Island, which they reached at nine o’clock. Most of them I were in scanty attire, and quit® worn 'out when they landed. Seven of the Imen, including the mate (Mr-Gibb) ! arrived at Wellington to-day. The captain and engineer remain at the wreck A PROLONGED “SPREE/’ LIQUOR BLOWS AT BALCLUTHA. DUNEDIN, April 14. At the Balclutha Court *n Tuesday, bo.'ore Mr H. A. Young S.M., Daniel Cv-we, labourer, was charged with (1) selling liquor at Balcliitka. on or about November 16th. 1914; (2) keeping lire or for sal© on or about the same r- ite; (3) failing to giv© the vendor’s n : m® and the address of the persons f r whom th* liquor was intended, "re defendant admitted purchasing f. 'teen bottles of whisky, but alleged that having just returned from rabbiting with £9 in his pocket he determined to hav© a “spree.” He “shoutd” for all and sundry, but received -o money for the drink. His “spree” '• sted from November 14th to 20th, • which date he found himself withut liquor and without mone3 r . Deendant was fined . £ 25, with $s • costs/ •V month was allowed In which-to pay • '■he find. The other charges were withdrawn. ; x . .c-/ v,io; ; ■ ■

.MEAT .FOR JMFERIAL TROOPS," STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER Referring to the export of meat for th e Imperial troops, the Prime Minister yesterday stated that from the end of May there will be sent out from New Zealand a number of ships which will gradually reduce th e congestion in the freezing stores. For the last two months little could be done to relieve th e pressure on the freezing stores, and at present the quantity in store is sufficient to fill seventeen insulated ships straight away. On March 27th last there were 1,741,067 carcases •in store that number has not been decreased. The position will not be materially improved during May, but a considerable improvement will take place in June. , “ “I am in communication with the Board of Trade on the subject every day,” added Mr Massey. "Everything possible i* being don e to get our meat away, end so to relieve the pressure that exists in the various freezing works. Up to the present the New Zealand Government has paid over £700,000 to exporters of meat on behalf of the Imperial Government.”