NOTES.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12474, 26 February 1909, Page 2

NOTES.

A puzzling case arising out of the wreck of the Penguin (says the 'Post') intimately concerns a small contractor who resident an. out of the. way settlement in Pelorus Sounds. He mMitT/° m l- h^ in^ work for » ters at mLh^ Ch ha f its headquarters at .Blenheim, and a sum of £R0 payment odd was forwarded to him by post. As there are no. banks in/ where near his residence. the . board's officials, to suit his convenience sent the money in the form of bank notes ualiing the precaution to register the ■ letter. The department, it is asserted, should have sent the letter-over- . land from Blenheim, for there were , two overland mails, it is said, on the . clay that the letter .was posted, but ,; unfortunately it was Vent to Welling- , ton by the s.s. Penguin on the occas- . ion that she was wrecked/ and so far . there has been no, trace of the mails discovered. The Post Office authorities, when they register a letter, it is stated, specifically decline to be liable for more than £2 in the event of the letter miscarrying, and now the question arises as to who is responsible . for the loss. There is a likelihood that the committal of the registered , letter to the Post Office officials forms : an act of delivery in the eyes of the -. law, whereby the Post Office becomes , agent in trust for the addressee, and il this prove to be the case the loss will apparently be upon a small con- . tractor instead of upon the public ; body, for though the post office has , legal liability, it is understood to be . limited by the express declaration that r no sum in excess of £2 will be paid for 3 a lost letter. .-.'... 3 ; • ■ : ■ ■ . ■