COSTLY ERROR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 102, 2 May 1935, Page 8

COSTLY ERROR.

BUSINESS CABLE

AUCKLAND FIRM'S LOSS.

DEPARTMENT WILL NOT PAY.

Considerable inconvenience, involving loss, was recently caused to an Auckland business firm by the mutilation of a cablegram sent to Rarotonga.

At a meeting of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce this morning, a letter was received from Radley and Company, drawing attention to what was described lis a serious defect in the transmission of cables despatched through the Auckland office of the Post and Telegraph Department. In February the firm forwarded a cable in code to their agents in Rarotonga, which read: —

"Bananas, what quantity do you anticipae by Maungonui, what quantity can you supply, will pay market rate, telegraph best juice, please treat this matter as urgent."

This message was mutilated in transit, said the firm, and as received by the agents it read as follows: —

'•Bananas advance Alauuganui 2d, will pay market rate 7/8, please treat this matter as urgent."

The Consequence

"The market value in Rarotonga for this particular shipment was 5/0 per ffase, f.0.b., at which price fruit Had .i I ready been purchased by opposition merchants, and the, receipt in Rarotonga of this mutilated cable had the effect of forcing prices Up to the extent »f 2/ a ease on all fruit shipped.

"We wrote to the Chief Postmaster, Auckland, from which we gather the Department has no intention of meeting us in any way regarding our financial loss. Our particular line of business demands the financing of overseas fruit, which is usually done by cable, and unless we cam be assured that our messages arc correctly transmitted wc arc being continually subjected to the possibility of serious loss."

The Chief Postmaster, replying to representations made by the firm, said "hat the text of the message was unfortunately mutilated over the lines of the Department. He expressed regret for "he errors, and also for the serious canM'f/uenecs arising from them. Suitable »ction#was being taken with the officer »t fault. In the circumstances, a refund of the transmission charges on the messages had been authorised. The Department was absolved by law from claims arising out of errors in the transmission of telegrams, and in the eircumttances no claim for compensation could bo entertained. "A Serious Matter." Members of the chamber agreed, after learning that the only responsibility the Department would take was a refund of the cost of the cable, that the only Jomedy the linn had was to petition Ihc Minister, and, failing that, to ventilate the matter in the House. It was * serious matter if a firm was to lose •several hundred pounds through the mutilation of a cable.

The president, Mr. Oainor Jackson, mentioned that another firm had been involved in the loss of £400 through an error in transmission.

"If it had been a private caulc firnr, the firm would have been responsible," said a member, "but because it is a Government Department, the Government will not accept responsibility."

A letter sent to Radley and Company by the secretary, Dr. E. P. Neale, stating that fullest inquiries were being juadc into the matter, was approved.