SEA TRANSPORT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23830, 4 December 1940, Page 11

SEA TRANSPORT

CARRIAGE OF GOODS DOMINION LAW REVISED FOLLOWING ENGLISH PRACTICE [itv telegraph" sen tat. reporter] WELLINGTON. Tuesday New Zealand law relating to the shipping of goods overseas is brought more into line with English and international practice by the Sea Carriage of Coeds Bill, which was passed by the House of Representatives to-day. The bill, which had been considered by both the Statutes Revision Committee and the Industries and Commerce Committee. received the general approval of the House. M oving the committal of the bill the Minister of Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D. (5. Sullivan, said that before this sort of legislation had come into being there had been an increasing tendency on the part of shipowners to write into bills of lading provisions protecting themselves against almost every kind of liability. So confused and uncertain had the position become that international conferences had been held at The Hague in 1921. "1922 and 192.'! to try to reach an understanding on what tho liabilities were to be. A set of rules was adopted by the maritime countries of the world, hut before tho conferences were actually finished legislation had been passed in New Zealand and some slight alterations were now required. fioods were shipped under the rules laid down by the exporting country, the Minister explained, and to bring about uniformity the English legislation was being produced in the bill, although the old rules would still apply to the Dominion's coastwise trade. It was provided also that the maximum liability of ship owners in cases of damage where the value of the goods was not declared should not exceed L'oO. compared with £'loo in the English legislation, and the unit of value was to be New Zealand currency. Mr. \V. A. Bodkin (Opposition—Central Otagoi, said it had been made clear that the persons most concerned were satisfied with the maximum liability limit fixed by the bill.