MISGING PIPES

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 126, 28 May 1920, Page 2

MISGING PIPES

SHIPPING COMPANY SUED. Shortage of shipping and haste in discharging cargo on the part of shipping agents in order that, the ship might resume its voyage, were at the root of a claim-heard by his Honour Sir Bassett Kdward.s in tlie Jjuoreme Court U)-d?y. The claim was. for £452 Is 9d by Charles Lyons, of C'hristchurch. hardware merchant, against the.'United States and Ans. tvalia Stenmahip Company for failure to deliver 142 bundles and 12 lengths of galva-njsed pipe and one length of black iron pipe, of which the pkintiit" >vas the consignee. Uv. 0. T. J. Alpevs and Ur. C. 'S. Thomas, both of Cliristrhurch, appeared for the plaintiff, and ?.Ir: A. W. Blair for the defendants. Prom the. statement of claim, it appeared that a quantity ox piping was shipped or; 25th January, 1919, from New York -by the .*.£. Wettland for New Zealand. There were between 5000 and 6000 bundles of pipes and about 1500 lengths of. pipe bearing different marks for different consignees in different parts of the Dominion. The ship on.ly called at Wellington, and there all the cargo had to be landed. The ship was in great lnvste to depart, and instead of the cargo being sorted it was dumped holusbolus on. the wharf and left for the Wellington Harbour Board's staff to sort ■out without specific instructions. All the pipes for. each port were put into separate heaps, and after chasing about for months the plaintiff was unable to find hip full consignment. He therefore claimed for ths value of the quantity still missing. The question was raised for the defence as to whether the blame for the-non-delivery should not'lie with the Wellington Harbour Board. His Honour made' a, suggestion to that effect. . The Wharfinger (Capiain _A. V. Hale-Munro) in cross-eXiimination. admitted that in. ca,ses of extreme haste, where'sjhips wanted to getaway, pipes might:be dumped on the wharf. Such a procedure \^p< rare. The staff of the Harbour Board were liable to error like any other human institution, but cases were exceedingly uncommon. At this stage tlie. Court ndjourned until the afternoon.