APRIL 19.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 983

LUGGAGE, PARCELS, ETC.—continued.

45. Checked Luggage.

1. Passengers may, at their option, have their luggage checked as follows:—
   (a) Between any two stations on the same section of railway.
   (b) From any officered station on the North Island main line and branches including the City Booking-office at Courtenay Place (Wellington) and the booking agencies at Symonds Street (Auckland) and Karangahape Road (Auckland) to any station on the South Island main line and branches, or on the Picton Section.
   (c) From any officered station on the North Island main line and branches, including the City Booking-office at Courtenay Place (Wellington) and the booking agencies at Symonds Street (Auckland) and Karangahape Road (Auckland) or on the South Island main line and branches, including City Booking-office, Christchurch, except Bluff, to Stewart Island.
   (d) From Dargaville to any station on the North or South Island main line and branches or the Picton Section, and from any officered station on the North or South Island main line and branches or the Picton Section, including the City Booking-offices at Courtenay Place (Wellington) and Christchurch and booking agencies at Symonds Street (Auckland) and Karangahape Road (Auckland) to Dargaville.
   (e) From any officered station on the South Island main line and branches, including City Booking-office, Christchurch, to any station on the Picton Section or on the North Island main line and branches.
   (f) From Stewart Island to any station on the North Island main line and branches, or the South Island main line and branches, except Bluff.
   (g) From any officered station on the Picton Section to any station on the North Island main line and branches or on the South Island main line and branches.
   (h) From any officered station on the North or South Island main line and branches or the Picton Section, including the City Booking-offices at Courtenay Place (Wellington) and Christchurch, to overseas vessels, operated by such companies as may be approved by the General Manager, at the following ports:—
   Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, Port Chalmers, Dunedin, and Bluff.
   (i) Luggage will not be checked between the following points:—
   Wellington and Picton.
   Wellington and Lyttelton.
   Picton and Lyttelton.

2. Subject to the provisions of the Act and of the regulations and of any by-laws under the Act, checked luggage will be held and conveyed at the risk of the Department or of the shipping company or of the road motor service, as the case may be.

3. Each package must, when presented for checking, be in good order and be distinctly addressed with the name of the passenger and the place to which he is proceeding. All old labels must first have been removed, each package locked or otherwise properly secured, and the person delivering it must obtain a check for each package delivered. The Department reserves the right to decline to check any package of luggage that is not fully and legibly addressed, locked, or properly secured, and from which old labels have not been removed, or which is not in good order. Trunks, suit-cases, bags, and other luggage containers must be such as, in the opinion of the Department, will enable the packages to withstand the ordinary incidents of transport without sustaining damage. The Department reserves the right to decline to accept for transport as luggage any package which does not meet this requirement.

4. Luggage to be checked may, if being forwarded from an officered station, or a flag station where facilities for the checking of luggage are provided, be delivered at the station from which the passenger will travel not more than one month before the date on which the passenger will travel, and (without prejudice to the provisions regarding excess luggage) must be delivered at such station at least fifteen minutes before the due time of departure of the train by which it is to be conveyed.

5. Luggage from flag stations at which there are no facilities provided for the checking of luggage and which the owners desire to check must be taken to the guard’s van, and be there handed to the guard of the train.

6. In the case of luggage on which excess charges are payable forwarded from a station where no provision is made for the excessing of such luggage, the excess charges must be paid to the guard, who will issue a ticket for the amount received.

7. The person delivering luggage to be checked must, on the same being checked, obtain a check for each package so delivered. The checks so obtained must be surrendered at the time of delivery of the luggage by the person who takes delivery of the luggage at destination station. Delivery by the Department of any checked luggage on the surrender of the appropriate checks to the person surrendering such checks and acceptance of such delivery by such person shall discharge the Department of any liability in respect of such luggage.

8. Except as hereinafter provided, no package of checked luggage will be delivered until the check has been surrendered. The Department will not be responsible for any loss or inconvenience that may arise through the failure of the passenger or his agent to produce the necessary check. The Department reserves the right to decline to deliver checked luggage at any station other than the original destination station of such luggage.

9. Passengers are not bound to see personally to the checking or excessing of their luggage, or to attend in person to obtain delivery of their luggage, but may arrange for any person, other than a railway employee, to act on their behalf; the Department, however, reserves to itself the right to demand the production of the passenger’s railway, steamer, and/or motor ticket whenever it may deem such a step to be necessary, and to decline to accept any luggage for transit until such demand has been complied with.