TELEGRAPHIC ERRORS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 180, 1 August 1935, Page 10

TELEGRAPHIC ERRORS.

MUTILATION OF MESSAGES

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INQUIRY

As the outcome of an error made in the transmission of a cablegram sent by an Auckland firm to Rarotonga, the Auckland Chamber of Commerce has made inquiries as to the general practice of telegraphic administrations in Canada and the United States concerning compensation in such instances. Through the Canadian Trade Commissioner, Mr. C. M. Croft, the chamber has been advised that the Canadian telegraph companies stipulate on the back of their telegraph forms that the company assumes liability in the case of non-delivery of a message or of error in transmitting, but not more than the amount received from the sender. It is, however, the practice to consider the circumstances of each case, and when there is competition and the sender is a good customer, amounts are paid in excess of the cost of the message.

The Los Angeles Chamber nf Commerce advised that with the Western Union Telegraph Company the sender was looked upon as the agent of the sender of the telegram, and the carrier had equal responsibility to each. Subject to certain government restrictions, the policy of the company was to weigh carefully all claims from its customers, and to dispose of them equitably.