A BUSINESS CALLED INTO QUESTION.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14844, 9 December 1913, Page 4

A BUSINESS CALLED INTO QUESTION.

At the Magistrate's Court yesterday moraine before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., John Barritt (Mr Hunt) claimed from James Riddle and Emily Riddle (Mr Casaidy) the sum of £12 4s 4d, being balance of month's rent of shop in Colombo street, and also amount of rates due. There was a counter-claim for £100 damages. ' The position, as stated by Mr Cassidy, was that in November, 1912, the plaintiff, by bis agent, offered for sale the lease, fittings, fixtures, goodwill and stock-in-trade of a tobacconist and hairdresser's establishment in Colombo street, Christchurch. Negotiations eu- i sued between the plaintiff and defendants for the sale of the business, and in the course of these, the plaintiff was alleged to have repeatedly stated that the business was a good, substantial, and increasing business, respectable and bringing in more than £12 per week. Defendants purchased for £12 J 16s 4d. Afterwards they discovered that tho business had long been a declining one, bringing in about £2 8s a week. • Further, they discovered that the business had a very disreputable name and character. Emily Riddle, one of the defendants, stated that she had been annoyed by disreputable women continually calling at tho place. They had only taken about eight shillings a day, and they had finally sold out to an auctioneer for £40. Sergeant Jackson deposed that thero had been complaints made to the police nbout the conduct of the place, when Mrs Reidlo sub-leased it from Barntt. Mr Cassidy: Had you any doubt in vnur mind that it was anything else than a tobacconist's shop?—l think it ■was something else. Other witnesses corroborated this statement. The defence was that Barritt had acted merely as an agent for one Mrs ■Reicile. who had been the sub-lessee of the pronertv, of which Barritt wae the lessee. Barritt made no misrepresentations, nor did he know the place bore a b.ad name. Mr Hunt cn4led evidence in support of this contention.

The maeistrnte judgment for B n rr : tt on both the claim and the counter-claim. *