BILLS OF LADING

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 187, 4 May 1920, Page 3

BILLS OF LADING

. BUSINESS MEN'S GRIEVANCES INVESTIGATION PROMISED . ; With the'high'rates of' freight ruling diirinp: the past four years, fbe commercial community has on several occasions made ■ representations to shipping companies that the limitation of liability in bills of lading.for goods-short delivered of .C 5 per cubic foot'and .£IOO per package was too,' low in view of the' general increase in values of merchandise being carried-(states the nnmial report of the Chamber oi Commerce). It is, therefore, gratifying to note that in July or August the ore; sens companies trading to New Zealand and Australia increased their limit of liability to JiilflO per package ■and ~iu per cubic foot. -There ..has,. however, been/no relief in regard to companies shipping under American bills of lading,-.'the: limitation of liability-in which is 100 dollars per package. : , In its report last year tlhe council included a memorandum from the British Board of Trade: regarding tho proposed Imperial Investigation Boa;.d.' ;" ; [The' Dominion's Koynl Commission recommended that an Imperial Investigation Board, should be-set up by the Imperial Government and the Dominion Governments to deal with'shipping interests, '.The Imperial Conference in 191S dealt, with this matter, and Had'before it a report from the British i Board of Trade. .The Board of Trade's recommendations stated, inter alia;— '. . i ."Thq essentinl point is the creation of 'a' quasi-judicial body competent to investigate disputes between shippers and ship-owners, which are among the mo6t. complex of trade problems. It is important to.-preserve, as far as practicable, an •' atmosphere of conciliation, ttifcher than one of litigation, but the' board would naturally have power to recommend executive or legislative-notion in ease of necessity to the Government concerned." The .latest informtition bearing on this subject has been issued by the Right Hon. W. F. Massey. Prime ; Minister., quoting the following communication 'from the Secretary of State for the'C'olonies:— . •■ . ,' "His Majesty's Government greatly regrets that"'owirg {o urgent pressure-of other public business it h«s been impossible 'hitherto to complete arrangements for the establishment of a body to deal Willi the question of Imperial seas communication. It is now proposed to slightly vary the proposals for an Imperial investigation Board,"as follows-.— "(1) Body to be called the Imperial Shinning; OouiiK-itter-"(2) Composition to be as contemplated for the Investigation Board except that it -is proposed to have an independent, chairman nominated by Cabinet here and to increase the number of unofficial members from four to five, appointment to be for the duration of committee..Sir Albert Stanley, formerly president of tho Board of Trade, has agreed to act as chairman. -

"(3) Terms of reference to qorrespond with those- proposed for the Invest-'ua-tion Bnnrd, but it is intended that the establishment of permanent machinery ,for Imperial co-operation withireßiird to sea coninmuieation should awtiit the m. port of the committee."

It is hoped by the council of chamber that when'this bon-rj : s'established it will_ be possible for importers in tho Dominion to make represnitutions reirnrd.inß the vexed question of bills of lading conditions and shipping matters acaerally.