New Forms of Bills of Lading Effective on August 1, L930

Recent legislation enacted by Congress amends that portion of the Interstate Commirce Act relating to bills of lading.

The railroads have proposed a new form of bill of lading with revised terms and conditions printed thereon in conformity with their understanding of the requirements of the amended law. This has been filed with the Interstate Conrmerce Commission as a tariff supplement to present effective Consolidated Freight Classification. IJnless suspended by the I. C. C., the new bills of lading will become effective on August 1, 1930. The material change is in the claim provisions of Paragraph B, Section 2, which in the new bill of lading terms reads as follows:

"Section 2-(b) As a condition precedent to recovery, claims mnst be filed in writing with the receiving or delivering carrier, or carrier.issuing this bill of lading, or carrier on whose line the loss, damage, injury or delay occurred, within nine months after delivery of the property (or, in case of export traffic, within nine months after delivery at port of expont) or, in case of failure to make delivery, then r,r'ithin nine months after a reasonable time for delivery has elapsed; and suits shall be instituted against any carrier only within two years and one day from the day when notice in writing is given by the carrier to the claimant that the carrier has disallowed the claim or any part or parts thereof specified in the notice. Where claims are not filed or suits are not instituted thereon in accordance with the foregoing provisions, no. carrier hereunder shall be liableJ anJ sirch claims will not be paid."

The West Coast Lumbermen's Association has been advised by carriers, they are aware of the fact that some shippers on August 1 ivill have on hand their own supply of unused B/L Torms and in order to avoid waste and pro'' vide ample iime to secure supplies of new forms, the old ladings may be used until December 31, 1930, providing .a-e-"re stamped r,'i'ith the following notation, and signed by the shipper and carrier's agent:

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"This-shipment is tendered and received sub-ject to the terms and conditions of the Company's Uniform Bill of Lading, efiective August 1, 1930. This receipt i-s not negofiabtelndil the shipment is consigned "ToOr*:r" must 6e exchanged for Company's Uniform Order Bill of Lading."

This notation will only be permitted on the straight or non' negoti,able Iorm. Shipments handled under the negotiable or shippels orderbills of-lading will require the new revised form. fo manufacturers who witl be using the present forrn of bills of lading after August 1, the Association suggests that they provide themselves with a rubber stary.qr_ worded. as indicaled above. Shippers whose stock of bills of lading run out before August 1, should make sure when ordering that'they are furniihed with the new forms con-taini-ng the amended terms and conditions as published in Supplement 1 to Consolidated Freight Classification No. 6.