LIBEL ACTIONS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 32, 7 February 1913, Page 2

LIBEL ACTIONS

VERY STRONG LANGUAGE. 5 (bt telegraph— frkbs association.) AUCKLAND, 6th February. In the actions for alleged libel against the Federation of Labour and Alexander Grigg hea,rd in the Supreme Court before Mr. Justice Edwards to-day, the subject matter In complaint was paragraphs published in the Mbonland Worker during the controversy over the Waihi strike. Plaintiffs were respectively Thomas Walsh, publisher of the paper' Voice of Labour, and William P, Black, who described himself as manager of the company publishing the Voice of Labour. Each plaintiff claimed £460 . damages. The cases were heard setariltely. In the case of Walsh the jury awarded £50 damages. Costs were allowed. In the case of Black plaintiff denied, authorship of the articles which were the subject of the alleged abusive com* mints of the Maoriland Worker. The point which defendants stressed was that no specific reference was made to Black in the article, and therefore there was no libel. During the hearing stormy passages occurred between Black and Sir John Findlay during cross-examination of the former. The jury returned a verdict for defendants, for whom judgment was given, with costs. The Judge remarked that the use of such violent language as that employed by both journals should be suppressed j by law.

The Bylaws Committee of the City Council stated last night that the City Engineer had reported that, in conjunction with the City Solicitor, he had waited on the Minister for Justice with regard to the control of the city traffic, and that the Minister had expressed his willingness to take over the control of the traffic, provided the corporation contributed the sum of £500 per annum. The committee roeommonded tint this offer bo accepted. Councillor Trevor said they expected to get six officers to regulate tho traffic, and he thought they would be well worth £500 a year.

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