July 21.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2481

Alterations to Scale of Charges in force upon the New Zealand Government Railways.

IN pursuance of all powers and authorities enabling me under the Government Railways Act, 1926, and of all other powers enabling me in this behalf, I, Joseph Gordon Coates, Minister of Railways, do hereby make the following alterations in the scale of charges in force on the New Zealand Government Railways open for traffic made on the 10th day of August, 1925, and published in the Gazette of 11th August, 1925:—

PART II.—LUGGAGE, PARCELS, HORSES, ETC.

By omitting the following:—

12. Parcels for Distribution at Destination.

13. When more parcels or articles than one are packed in hampers, crates, bags, cases, or other packing or fastening, and are consigned from or to express companies or forwarding agents, and are for distribution at destination, the whole weight will be charged at double rate.

14. The words “forwarding agents” for the purposes of this regulation mean and include any person, firm, or company to whom goods intended to be distributed are sent (whether generally or in the particular case), such person, firm, or company receiving such goods merely as agent for the purpose of distribution.

15. The onus of proving that parcels are not forwarded to an agent for distribution rests with the consignor in each case.

16. Where a bona fide trading firm (not being a forwarding agency) consigns goods to itself, its branch, or its representative in the ordinary course of its business, whether such goods are to be held as stock or are for delivery to customers, the ordinary and not the distribution rate will apply. Every such consignment must be handed to the Department and taken delivery of from the Department as a single consignment, and under no circumstances are deliveries to be split to permit of distribution being made direct from the railway premises.

17. Milk and Cream.

18. Returned empty milk or cream cans will be returned free, but at the sole risk of owners, who must do all loading and unloading.

19. Test-boxes containing samples of milk or cream sent to central offices for testing-purposes will be conveyed at the rate specified in paragraph 2 of this regulation. When returning empty they will be carried free on the same conditions as returned empty milk-cans.

20. Where milk is sent by rail to dairy factories, and the consignor of the milk have their skim-milk sent back to them, the skim-milk will be conveyed free of charge in their cans returning from the factory.

And substituting the following:—

12. Parcels for Distribution at Destination.

13. When more parcels or articles than one, whether loose or packed in hampers, crates, cases, or other packing, fastening, or container, are consigned from a forwarding agency or express company to a forwarding agency or express company, and such package or packages are for distribution at the destination station, the charges will be computed on the total weight of such consignment at double the ordinary rate applicable thereto.

14. The onus of proving that consignments are not forwarded to an agency for distribution rests with the consignor in each case.

15. For the purposes of this regulation the words “forwarding agency or express company” shall mean and include any person, firm, or company by whom or to whom goods intended for distribution are consigned (whether generally or in the particular case), and such person, firm, or company merely acts in the capacity of agent for the purpose of distribution or for the purpose of consigning for distribution.

16. Where a bona fide trading firm (not being a forwarding agency) consigns goods to itself, its branch, or its representative, in the ordinary course of its business, whether such goods are to be held as stock or are for delivery to its customers, the ordinary rate shall apply, and not the rate provided in paragraph 1 of this regulation.

17. Where an express company or forwarding agency consigns goods to a bona fide trading firm (not being a forwarding agency) or receives goods consigned from a bona fide trading firm (not being a forwarding agency) the ordinary rate shall apply, and not the rate as provided in paragraph 1 of this regulation.

18. Goods intended for conveyance under the provisions of paragraphs 4 and 5 of this regulation shall be delivered to the Railway Department as a single consignment, and any such consignment accepted for conveyance shall be taken delivery of at the destination station in a like manner. Delivery shall not, in any circumstances, be split to permit of distribution being made direct from the railway premises.

19. Milk and Cream.

20. Empty milk or cream cans being returned from the original consignee and receiving station to the original consignor and forwarding station will be conveyed free: Provided that the Department reserves the right to refuse such free conveyance in the case of any dairy or milk-condensing factory or creamery which utilizes means other than the railway for the carriage of the output of such factory or creamery, when the railway is available for the transport of such output.

6A. Where free conveyance is granted the empty returned cans will be carried at the sole risk of the owners, who must perform all loading and unloading. In such cases as the Department may direct that free conveyance is not to be
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