THERE IS NO HURRY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 588, 17 August 1909, Page 8

THERE IS NO HURRY.

HIS HONOUR, THE SOLICITORS, AND : THE QAS; DEPUTE. ~ :■ :':• f • SOME REPARTEE. '■'":. ' /Solicitors for the parties in the dispute between, the City Council and tho Gas Com-pany-met his Honour Mr. Justice' Cooper in private-chambers yesterday morning, with a view' to arranging a date on which to hear .the; actions ■._;'■:■:.::■.''■. .'..'■"■;■"• - -.'■ ' j His Honour said that the only days available this week were' Tuesday and. Wednesday. •Ho would leave on Saturday '.for Palnierston Northi Napier, and Gisborne, and would not be able" to sit in Wellington again until the 'middle of September. . ; . •' : "■ Mr. O'Shea (City' Solicitor): We aro having a conference to-morrow; , ■ : Mr. : Dean (representing the Gas Company): 'Are we? I don't think so. . ■ His Honour , askod, how; many counsel would be appearing, and was told that; Mr. •Harper (Christchurch),' arid' Mr. ' Devino would represent the Miramar Borough, Mr. Hosking,K.C. (Dunedin), and probamy I two others would /appear for the Gas Company, Mr.' Skerrett, : K.C,,' and Mr.. Martin would ajgue'for the; City "Council; and the Attor-ney-General would .'be represented , : by Mi\ Myers (Crown' Solicitor); ■'>■■ v . Mr. Myers suggested that the case should bo'.set down by either opposing party as an ordinary action, and- it -woulnv come on in the'list, probably next week. . ■■■•■/Mr.■••Dean: !.Thero\is'.rib reason: why it should not bo. moved, into- the' Court of Appeal now.. -, .';'■ ■'.",;■'.'. ' -.; -,:.-., ■. •' ' ' .-'■■ Mr. ; Devino (for' the Mira'mar Borough) protested that as far as, the motion for ah injunction .'waVK concerned the Miramar .Borough had no status in. : the Court.. [His Honour: The originating summons could bo moved .into , the Court of .Appeal ..with the'action, '.■'■■■-j ' ■■• .' "■ ■■ ,: -.

■ Mr. : ; Dovinb: , Wo : arc advised ' that the ■whole guestion-caii be. absolutely decided on the originating summons.."'.,.;.. 'His Honour: Why-not all parties consent to .removing the .originating summons and the'action? I-understand therewill be no evidence. ■;■ ■'•'■/' •':■':■ -■■'-.i--:"-: ■' :':■■■ "-.:[■-

;■'; Mr.., O'Shea: : ; There, may; ; be; . '/,:i '■■■' ■■''._■ -;:, .-• Mr/ Pean:.'Wo;fear.'lthatos rather long. My/ instructi6ns"'are : ,to press- to. 'get it on now. ;,v ,■:■;••■ ;■"'■.v.y:;.v: ;/ .■ ■••-■. : -.'-:-. : ■• ■ ■■ ■':'; His Honour :' You can press; as-much- as you. like'.;■ Th'efo ..has 'been;considerable, de-, lay since these proceedings ,were started,. and only lately..'hav.e.i.yoii -begun to. press,'when; there isjiot-a day available; V ; ' •' ■' Mr. Dean: The City' Council has been coy; vMr.'Devirie said that time was an important . matter -to the; Miramar : Borough. :■ They had; entered Jnto -a contract; to-supply, gas. The .City' Council ■• was/not prejudiced .'if it did not come'oti for six months.' ,"."■■ , ;-

. "Mr. Dean r sugges_tbd thai'it_should .be set down' a"s' the "first oivil case; at - these '■ sessions.-

~'.'. Mr.-:Myers: Jriry cases come -first. - His Honour: ,You cannot-displace thebusi- . : "r.ess r of;.the :: because there, is : a disr; . ..pute: between- : 'th'e;: city corporation, and tho : Gas Company.;;^.'- ■■:- ■■ .' ■ ■ ; -r :\ 'Mr. ; ; O'She.a':-' ; These- 'negotiations■■'; have- ■• ■-.' been'gbing' on for;two years, and the summer. ": incoming. : j-There-is ho hurry. ;V . ■; -:, ■His' Honour: Certainly it : is 'not; possible for Jme to interf ere' ; in,a civil .action--which '. , is ; -not I ready- 'fcir 'hearing, 'arid ;it ;is . not ad- :;';..■■• visable to'hear'. one'part;of-.the case.without ■ neariritt , the-.^other. , ■■■.-'A. : -:..■<■■'■ ■':.■:?' •Mr. O'Shea:'We intend tohave them 1 heard •/together. ■';•■<■■,■;! .;,;■;.!. t\ : 'ki' .:;.:•-•..;.. ;,',. : ■:'.'■•■: : ■'-■''■■ ;His Honour.agreed.... to: , hear' a'motion .in regard to interlocutory .proceedings in Chamhers this; morning; . Considering that -.there .'. vwere a ntimber 'of iKing's.. Counsel with their-' ■ ■ juniors-.ap'pearing,-;his; Honour did: not"'.think ;that:he could'.hear .one" j set ;bf counsel: in one ; - 'day/ ■■■.■■.'- ■' ■". ■■■.-■; .■■;'-■ -.- . • .' ;;>. '. ,: ' ■ ... , . ';;Mr. O'Shea: ..The section-is so deliphthilly. ;.- One can argue on'.any subject. ; V..' j "In. the meantime," said his Honour, f'. , ; "perhaps -.you ; ivill; ;settle;the • diffefehcei'i'j j> ;-'(j .-. . . '-'I, still so',".Replied ;Mr,' O'Shea.*' ]"' -■.;.'- ~ "Of -course," -remarkedrhis Honour,- "it ■;.; would be; a. professional .misfortuhe to settle •■-\-.iiii".-; (Laughter.) V-i V , -V;. OTHER .NECOTIATIONS. ; •■:•"■;' , ; •■'.. '-BUT NO'SETTLEMENTr-. ■'■■• ".'■ '-. '■"■: The.. prediction cniade-. last.-week -a ;.i conference '.was', t'fcbc.-held this .weeK.betwecn the' Gas-Conipany.^andi.the.Gas'.CJommittee ,, of ■■■ the .city, "at' lyhich 4 .-an , ■;'amicable, settlement '..'•;. of the aifforencpvbe.tjveen-the parties .might ■ ; he. arrived' at, -.'has" riot; yet ;beeh' realises!, the ..., conditions laid:'dijjfn;by the,council ; not beirig :. ; --. acceptable to^thel'c^omp^ny.!';/'.'/- , -?'-./ , :■'■;'•' ';. .-•■• !:,; On-August Jl i his;'Wprshrp > -:thb''Mayor "rej ceived.a , coniminicatipri .from , the' Gfai'/'Coni- ; ;■pany; snggesting'.'thiit a; co'nf should'be ~ relu between;;the'Mayor 'and'.'th'e'pouncil's '; legal advisers' (Messrs.-C; P;.' Skerrett,. and ■'■"■'.-J. O'Shea).on the one' hand.-'and Mr. Dean .. (the company's, legal, adviser), , , and Mr. , Wil3iam;Fefgusort''(managing''director of the . company) on'the other : hand.. J A-reply, was -.-. :forwarded by ; : the Mayor-the same day, stat-. ' ing that' he would,'have pleasure in meeting 'the representatives, of • the- company, but .. pointing .out - that;,.the- conference, must be. ; mthe presenco'of Committee of the • council. ■• The council would-' also be pleased . . t-j; meet- the .directors ; . of• the company, -/or : . ariy ; 'of theih , who ;migh't "choose to -attend.-.. ■.. "A further letter received- from the Gas . .■■', .yesterday morning -stated "that as the .original suggestion .to: confine, the conference .to >■ the "Mayor, •Mγ. Ferguson, and '. , the legal advisers ; .of the respective ■ parties had not been' agreed? to, the-■ suggested conn fe'rence could not .be; held..;;, .•.-.-.. ,' . • ..••;■,■