RAILWAY DEMURRAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 February 1920, Page 6

RAILWAY DEMURRAGE.

COMMENTS BY EDUCATION BOARD. The. question of railway demurrage charges was discussed by some members of the Taranaki Education Board yesterday, when the Finance Committee recommended that no further action should he taken in respect to a charge by the Railway Department in connection with a recent purchase of timber. Mr. S. ('!. Smith, M.P., said he thought the time had come when a stand should be taken against such charges under the particular circumstances. The facts were that Hi trucks of timber had been received for the Board, and were (lischa..;ed between 2 p.m. on a Monday and midday Wednesday, or a total of 13 working hours, with the exception of two trucks and on these a demurrage charge had been made. The amount was not large, but in principle the charge was wrong. Mr. A. Lees said he did not think the Board would have any chance in face of the Railway Regulations. These were always brought up, and his opinion was that the Department would probably make matters a good deal hotter for the Board than if they were left alone.

Mr. Smith replied that the present system of demurrage charges were nothing more than legalised robbery of the public. Because a junior officer said the removal of goods was not carried out expeditiously the charge was imposed, and no matter what kind of a case the Board, or.any one else, might have, that charge was upheld by all tha other higher officers of the Department. In the Board's case the'architect had used every endeavor to discharge the trucks. He utilised- every available vehicle, and what labor could be secured, and even brought some of his men from work on which they were engaged at Hawera, to facilitate the unloading of the trucks. and still a junior officer had decided that demurrage should be charged, and he thought it was time a protest was made. The chairman (Mr. Masters) said the recommendation of the committee was prompted by the bitter experience of those on the committee. He thought the Department could "get it back on you'' every timeMr. Smith then moved that the recommendation of the committee be deleted from the report, and that the Department be approached for a refund of the demurrage charge. Mr. Trimble seconded the motion, and. hoped the application would be pushed as a matter of principle. The motion was carried.