About a Small and Joyes Fluid.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1126, 13 May 1911, Page 10

About a Small and Joyes Fluid.

Was there any smell?—"Oh, yes, sometimes."

What sort of smell?

Mr. Hislop (interrupting): "You kept scents there, didn't you?—" Yes.". Mr. O'Sliea: Was it an eau-de-cologno smell, then?—" No."

Was it an offensive smell?—" Yes." Did you do anything to keep tho smell down?—" Yes, we used .Jeyes fluid." ■

Vitncss proceeded to other statements as to alleged dampness, leakiness, and condition of the timber. Ono night, .while the boards were being taken up, lie became ill. Dr. Boyd, who had attended him, informed him that he had narrowly escaped an attack of typhoid. Another man, an employee, also became ill, and remained away from work for some weeks. Witness also mentioned an offensive atmosphere Mr. O'Shea: What effect had it upon you P—"Sometimes we could not work at niorht."

His Worship: Did you do anything about it?—"l have said wo sometimes put down Jeyes' fluid. Wo also got carpenters in,' and did all. sorts of things. On ono occasion , they had bored holes in the floor.because they had thought that the air might bo improved.

Mr. O'Shea : Well ?—"We had to plug them up again because" tho smell was worse." ' , , '

Did you ever make attempts .to leavo the shop?—"Oh, yes." What was the reason why you did not do so?—"I could not get a shop anywhere else."

In further answer to Mr. O'Shea, witness said that an employee who had been with the firm for 15 or 20 years had left because ho was ill.

. Mr. O'Shea: Do you know what was the matter with him?—"l heard it was consumption.";-.;-q',■•••■;'■. -*4. ::"■'■> ■'•■

Cross-Examination,

Cross-examined by Mr. Hislop, witness stated that tho tenancy had been a. monthly one for some years—since, the expiry of the. lease. Ho did not remember tho owners on ono occasion pointing out that he was keeping, tho building in a dirty state—especially upstairs where tho girjs used to cat their lunch. They had not visited tho lastnamed room. Dead rats frequently were discovered.

Mr. Hislop: Did not tho dead rats cause all the smell ?—"There were dead-rat smells, hut others over* and above, them." (Laughter.) .'■ .

Witness admitted' that , tho place had been flooded onco or twice eacli winter through water coming in from tho front.

Mr. Hislop: After such floods you would expect .bad odours to arise? — "Tho bad odours camo so often that they could not be tho cause."

Witness added that lie had tried to make provision against the smells. Ho had endeavoured to got other premises, but had failed. Pressed on , this point, and tho effect of the bad atmosphere on himself and others, witness threatened to "give- it hot and strong" about the building, if asked further similar questions. Subsequently, replying to Mr. Hislop, ho said that tho lease of the promises had expired long before 1907. Under the lease they had been bound to keep tho place in repair, but there.' was the usual proviso of "fair wear and tear oxeepted.". There had been no .dispute with tho owners about the terms of tho lease (in rospect to repairs) not having been fulfilled. To Mr. O'Shea: "Certain customers l would not come into tho shop, 1 and others would not stay there. The assistants wcro always growling. On one occasion the girls' feet in tho workroom above- had come' through tho ceiling. (Laughter.) John Stick, employed by Warnock and Adkin for fifteen years," from 1907, backwards gave corroborative evidence as to the dampness and atmosphere- of the Manchester department.