SEA CARRIAGE OF GOODS BILL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 4 December 1940, Page 4

SEA CARRIAGE OF GOODS BILL

MEASURE PASSED BY HOUSE [From Our Own Parliamentary Reporter] WELLINGTON, This Day. Moving the committal of the Sea Car--1 riage of Goods Bill in the House of Re- : presentatives yesterday, the Minister of ■ Industries and Commerce (Mr Sullivan) said the measure defined the responsibilities. rights and liabilities of shippers and ship owners. Prior to thia class of legislation being enacted there had been an increasing tendency on the part of ship owners to write in clauses in bills of lading the general object being to protect them against almost every kind of liability. Finally the position became so confused, unsatisfactory and uncertain that an international conference was held at The Hague in 1921 for the purpose of an international agreement fixing liability and responsibility. An agreement was finally arrived at in 1923. A set of rules was determined and was adopted by various countries and an Imperial Act was passed in 1924 embodying the decisions reached. The Imperial Conference of 1926 had asked the Dominions to pass legislation bringing it into line with the Imperial Act and this request was being carried out by New Zealand. It had been complied with by various other parts of the Empire. The Minister said that as far as coastwise trade was concerned New Zealand would observe the old rule because of custom and decisions concerning it, but the new legislation would apply to overseas trade. The Bill was put through committee. read a third time and passed with practically no discussion.