SUPREME COURT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 583, 11 August 1909, Page 11

SUPREME COURT.

;ov' CASES IN BANCO. >. '-"THE JUDGE HAD GONE TOO FAR.|' - S An-appeal ;frbm the decision .of the district C»'tfft ; sitting at Mastorton was heard, bofore ; .Ki« Mr.. Justice Cooper .yesterday. ; Thefippcllant, Robert W. Munn, farmer, ami :oW*r;of:^ o ;Longbu ? h,che«e factory had, . 6B&*maker) for: the seaaon 190S-9. ■ In Fobratfj last, Hodge': •*«« .dismissed, .and .re- ■ up to the time efbf dismissal. He-btousht an action: before Distriot Judge HaWden:and a juryof-four, to recover, £(U • dlmafees/ihe amount which be alleged to bo 1 the balance; of. tho years; : Wa'glsr ■ The judge wrote out directions, whicb ■:■ :heamnded:W : the jury, ''statue that if, tho ' plaintiff. (Hodge) was "utter y" incompetent, by' reason of his negligence," his wort •'• wa^-Valueless,.or .if ho,hindered the prepara'to'ryprocess of cheese-making by dishonestly •tSkiriS.cronni, they should find for the defen- '■ The .iuryireturned ./a■ verdict ;' fdrtnc plaintiff:for £40.Defendantmovedfor. .- a iiietv '.trial bof ore. tho District Court, on tho{trbuiid'of. misdirection, brtt the judge refused the-application.. Defendant now appealed to tfie Supreme: Court,' Ion; tho ground that the judge hadfmisdirected tho jury on a point : or :' ■ 'Tho.'case :was .argued by. Mr., Yon Haast . andiiir. H.-.C:'Kobinson for .tho. appellant, ''.. .and'vJJr. C;.A. Pownall;.(of. Mnsterton) for : .th^ospondont;;.-. ■-{ , .■•. V ? ■,'. V-:;■'; ~,,;.; ■■'■'■■..•■■slis":Honour, in giving judgment, said that District JudgP' had raised the point that : thlrSi was no valid ground for appeal, but i. his held that tho appeal was pro-. '. perly/; constituted. "'-. A skilled employee was 'oxp>/)ted to put forth reasonable skill,: and, "■'■<if':tlib" jiide-e had explained to the jury that. : "utterly;'incompetent", meant; 'grossly in- " competent," ho would'have had authority for hisulirection.: Further, the. judge had gono ' tob'Vfar when he said that it, was- not sufli- : •cie:nt. ; ;for : Vthe''tlefehda"nt'to::provo''that his '■' M.rvSnt's-S' : w.ork2v.wiisi= rendered-,. : valueless ' ' though negligence/and : that ho must ; prove : wijful>and intentional negligence., His Hon;, ::' ourfftbuldorder a new trial,' and allow seven; '■'•• giiifibas; costs"aeainst.the respondent.: ~ :■'■■ ./'Mr: : P6wriallreniarked v .that -his. client was. a'ip'bb'r 'man, -arid'he*would prefer">to : '.have' tl{e/-fcaseVtried "agairiV before "the, "Magistrate ;■ at^Maate'rton,. instead -of t; befpre -a Supremo v; Co^rt- judge'and jury;.;- ':V ".:;>.':,!". ::. :. { : '" :.vHis ; .Honour, Mr.' Justice Cooper; heard, two appeals yesterday afternoon irireEard'to'tlio ': .awarding;';of betterment for -incrcased.laml 'values' brought 'about by, the ' widening/pf • Mast.ertbn streets.' Under..the;r.Mastcrton; ...Bb'roU'gh 'Betterment Act, the Borough ..Oouii- ■'. cil'Vyidened.vCr'oss.■' Street,* 1 and, £122, better- : ■'; niejrt ;was awarded against/May Sullivan aiid Cecilia; Sullivani In respect to, widening in . Di&3n'. Street; the, borough 'was awardcd,£39/ betterment 'against the : .Commercial, . and ;-Farmers':;,Club.-': -:Tho; property-holders, ap-' pealed against ;■ these awards on tho ground :■ tha ; t ilthej.claim ;had. riot beenvmade^within ■ twblve months of the widening boirig carried ■VouM? '"V: -.';'■: v: "yV.'-v -.v' -^"'^' ,'" :;Mrv;M:' Chapman, K.C., Vith'.him, Mr. D. (of. Masterton), appeared',for- iho . appellants; ahd.Mr. o.' A..Pownall (of Mas'tertbii) ''for the ■': v ■/. His; Honour reserved 1 judgments ■■> ■ ■-■" >- J ; ■ X '-iffjI :>;£;CHINAMAN'S;HORSEi>iI- > ,-': : ;The'-ease -/.of b. Andrews' v;v Fan Tu; 'an ":'. apneii fi=om the [ decisioij'.Pf ..Dr/.-M'Arthur, :. . S.M'?y',.wai;heard .blfdrc-nis . ; -Hbllour•;"-'Mr'.;■ . Justice: Cboper.'ori Monday,.and judgment, ' was' : -'i delivered.' .yesterday •;; afternoori.; : Tho' ■ magistra|e-iad.^arded;Fa^.Tu,£lo,dsmaE^^ ~ for of 'his', h'orso Tjy; . : ' Aridrewsr-it--wa's-'stated' in'. the~Lower'Cqurt. \. that.6nftiMag«irofhad borrowed:£.6o,from;th3. SbutlivPacific Loan Company, and gave hij - . and"'•-. ihia:,, 'brother's . horso .. as: V :s«curißc.,;'.One. ! .pf itha hjpf^esrwaa^qlc^-to, "Faii-Tfi. •Company, acting-through : ■■; Andrews, whb 4 thb, -ambunt'/ sbiiied;the horse, which Fan Tu had purchased. ' •His'lHoriour.reversed. thoj.decision of tho magistrate,' and allowed4hb v app«il ! With fiyo ."" guinej& I'oqgjtssH'voy- ,:.H3^ r « ; ' Jl ?:"K --v- ;i..\ ■■'■ :; : : K::,|]ONTRACT- T& ■' BUr^ARES;'.;:' !; ' ; -- ...-.'■ -.A;^cjise.bn\a^^^ •, M'Arthur,:S'.M.V''bcCupied'tlie -attention-of :;. his'\Hbnour. Mr. ■ Justice Chapman.; all .day. • yesierday.-:.-:iDaViid3 v Hope- ■Johnston,' ]-: ■ fdrmbily . ' the'^deoi^pn., giifiag :'judgment "ataiiisfluni-bii a'claimjo'r..£so for .-•.:■ thbv'relturn of a deposit''pid : by 'Kim pii : :an ~ agreenient-for:the pufchasovbf shares:iri'-.tho ■: Weliirigton.Dairy'Compariy.HLtdi'fdefepdau't);. ' THe7nicnib'efs'" Of "the "WilRbhvf Jolly, and also .been made • defen'danta,-'and: :they. : counter-claimed:-for .:, £15pP"' Judgment ..had ..been-, given >in. their ":■' fay&ir,' for.'£lo.; ■:-:,' ••;'-" •'■•'' '■~...■••■'• K-Mri'iGray appeared on'behalf of the'appcl-':'::viantVsMr..-''Brown;.for;'thc;'r'espohdflht Homo", and? Mr- Blair' for.:the ,othei>.rbspondelits. : grounds of,appeal were, that, the was'wrong:m: : law : arid.:in-''-fact, ::'appellant alleging that':'tho.' cbntract.;. baJ ;'■' h'oon'-'induced -0y,.-misrepresentation and .'.was legally: not: onforceablp. He'..claimed,•■•there-' '; fore'i'- ,to bo'entitled tho: recovery :of, "hia deposit;', and contended that • idairiagos; ;on tho>.'pountcr-claim could-'n'ot validly ' against Jam^. : :,.,:yy.-,y. .-;;:.-,,..:,, .:;■: :,-, t 'W;. ' •".;Cburjsel;'. : addfess'ed the Court, which, will .'.'further- r cohsider : tho. : case'to-day,-; -..-;