INSURANCE CLAIMS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 51, 2 March 1937, Page 15

INSURANCE CLAIMS

LIABILITY OF POST

OFFICE

REGULATIONS DISCUSSED

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, March 1,

Doubt whether certain regulations protecting.the Post Office in the event of insurance claims against it would be held valid was., expressed by the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, during proceedings in the Supreme Court today. The action was a claim against the Postmaster-General for alleged failure'to deliver circulars before a certain date, and Mr. Meredith, who appeared for the Postmaster-General, discussed the matter of registration and insurance.. . ' ■. ; '(Mr. Meredith said it Vas definitely laid down in the Post and Telegraph Act- that registration carried no liability'for loss, but that the PostmasterGeneral might pay up to £2. If he did it-was-in-the nature of an ex gratia payment. One could-insure letters and parcels up to a fixed amount. In letters one could insure only such contents as bank notes , and negotiable securities, buJ;-:n.Q; ; legal ■■. liability; rested; upon the Pos.tmaster-Gerieral.•',.. ': :. :« ' ■"'■' ;' His Honour:, Where is that? --, . j Mr.;. Meredith:.,-."• In. _the -regulations; The payment,-of;' an: insured .amount shall-.be at :the discretion of:-the Post-master-General. ' ."■". :'■■ ~'■.- , : His%Honour; I am not going to >de 7 cide thafcf'question just now], :;but-;?;I should -take leave "to doubt the validity of. such, a regulation; After1;all, I can quite . understand -that the object of registration is to enable a letter to be traced more: easily. I can quite understand that mere registration should not place a liability upon the postal;authorities, but when it comes to insurance I .should' have thought that a prima facie-insurer was liable. MrAMeredith said' that- probably the purpose of insurance 'might be" to. leave it -open-for the■Postmaster-General■ to question:.the bona" fides', of the insured and.to:exercise his discretion. ■•■■.■•■ ■ .

.XHis'Hopourt ended the discussion': by saying the '.matter 'did not arise in\the:dase before him. ■ "■'