APRIL 19.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1069

GENERAL—continued.

2. Consignors of live-stock are required to give such notice to consignees
   regarding despatch as will prevent delay in delivery at the destination station.
3. The Department is not a common carrier of live-stock. The Department
   may, at its option, require freight on live-stock to be prepaid.
4. Loading and unloading must be performed by, and under all circum-
   stances entirely at the risk of, the consignor and consignee respectively.
5. The Department may—
   (a) Refuse the transport of sick, wild, unmanageable, or fierce animals.
   The Department may, however, accept such animals for trans-
   portation upon condition that freight is prepaid and that the
   Department is free from all liability in respect thereof.
   (b) Refuse the transport of live-stock when the animals, in the opinion of
   the Stationmaster or Guard, are not in a fit condition to travel.
   (c) Restrict if necessary the number of animals which may be loaded in
   any truck or any class of truck.
   (d) Load other animals, vehicles, or goods from the same or different con-
   signors to the same or different consignees in the same truck.
   (e) Refuse to accept for transport any live-stock that are or may be timed
   to arrive at their destination between 6 p.m. on Saturday and 6 p.m.
   on Sunday, unless and until an undertaking in writing shall have
   been received from the consignee that the live-stock will be unloaded
   and delivery taken thereof within three hours after arrival at
   destination.
6. The Department does not under any circumstances accept any responsi-
   bility whatever for animals before they are placed into the truck; for the
   consequences resulting from animals falling in trucks; for animals injured by
   other animals in trucks, or after the animals arrive at the station to which they
   are transported; nor is the Department liable for loss caused by live-stock
   jumping out of trucks whilst in transit.
7. The Department will not be bound to receive any live-stock for carriage
   to or from any railway-station which is not equipped with platforms, yards,
   and other suitable facilities for loading and unloading live-stock: Provided
   that at the option of the Department live-stock may be received for carriage
   to or from such places if the owners accept all the risk.
   FEEDING AND WATERING.
8. Live-stock must be adequately fed and watered immediately prior to
   being tendered to the Department for transport, and a certificate may be
   required from the consignor that this has been done. Live-stock may not be
   accepted for transport where this condition has not been complied with.
9. Owners of live-stock must in all cases make their own arrangements for
   feeding, watering, or tending stock. The Department does not accept any
   responsibility in regard thereto.
10. If desired by the owners, live-stock may be off-loaded for feeding and
    watering at a station convenient to the Department between that from which
    they are forwarded and their destination, but they must not be detained more
    than twenty-four hours, otherwise the journey will be regarded as a new journey
    from the point where the stock was detained, and charges will be payable
    thereon accordingly.
11. The Department may, whenever it considers it necessary, provide
    live-stock whilst in its charge with food or water, or both (when practicable),
    at the expense of the consignees or consignors (as the case may be), and for
    such purpose the live-stock may be off-loaded. In no case will any charge be
    made for the water supplied to such stock.
12. In either of the cases referred to in paragraphs 10 and 11 the
    Department may, whenever it performs the work of reloading, make an additional
    charge of 4s. 2d. per four-wheeled truck and 8s. 3d. per double-bogie truck.
    LOADING AND UNLOADING.
13. The consignor shall be responsible and shall pay for damage done by
    animals to trucks, enclosures, or other railway property while such animals are
    on the premises of the railway, unless he can prove that the damage is to be
    ascribed to the bad condition of such truck, enclosure, or railway property.
14. Animals which have died during their transport or before delivery to
    consignees must be accepted by the consignor or consignee (as the case may be)
    if the carcass is tendered by the Department, and such carcass must be removed
    forthwith from railway property, failing which the Department will take steps
    to have it removed at the cost of the consignor or consignee (as the case may be).
    If any animal has died whilst in transit and has been removed from the
    truck the consignor or consignee (as the case may be) shall pay the cost of
    such removal and burial as hereinafter provided.
15. Live-stock received by rail at stations must be removed within three
    working-hours after their arrival, otherwise such stock will be unloaded and
    held at the sole risk and expense of the owner.
16. A charge of 3s. 4d. per four-wheeled truck and 6s. 7d. per double-bogie
    truck will be made for unloading such stock.
17. Except as may be otherwise provided, a charge of 6½d. per head of
    cattle, horses, or mules and 1¼d. per head of sheep, goats, calves (under six
    months old), or pigs, or other small stock, will be made for every eight hours
    or portion thereof after the expiry of the first three hours after arrival at
    destination station that the stock so remains in the custody of the Department,
    in addition to any charge that may have been incurred for food, water,
    veterinary surgeon's charges, and the like. Should it be considered necessary,
    the live-stock may, if practicable, at the option of the Department, be sent for
    stabling or grazing at the sole risk and expense of the consignee, and any
    expense incurred by the Department in connection with the feeding, maintenance,
    or custody of such live-stock shall be deemed to be charges payable in respect
    of the carriage of such live-stock.