HUNTER ESTATE CASE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 138, 28 June 1937, Page 8

HUNTER ESTATE CASE

-Fress Association.)

Hearing Being Continued This Week farming 0f sheep-stati0n

liJy TeleKiapli-

WELLINGTON, This Day. Tlie hearing is being continued this week in the ^upreme Court in the actiou brought by Lady Editli May Hunter against Cyril Paul Hunter, Akitio, and Thomas Percy Hunter, Porangahau, for their removal from the' trusteeship of the estate of her husband, thc late Sir George Hunter. I'laintiff allcgcs mismanageinent cf tlie .aoc, wiiic'ji dei'endants deny. Tbe case is being heard by Mr Justioe Smith. Mr J. J). Willis and Mr It. R. Scott are appearing for plaintiff, and Mr C. H. VVestcn, K.C., and Mr J, Fl. Dunn Ixr defendants. Giving evidence last week Meldrum Alfred Eliott, niauaging dircctor oi M. i iv.to.t Ltd., Palineiston North, said lie had perused acccuuts kept by Bcthune anj Hunltr on b^halt °f the Hunter estate. It appeared to him thatall rec-eipts and payments in connection with the estate had been made through Bcthunfe and Hunter in his opiuion a lair cliarge i'.or the work done liy the tirui would be dS L(J0 a year, exciudiug tlie audit fee. He understocd that Betluine and Huntei acted as hankers for the estate. He could not trace any credit for interest paid to the ostate on moneys helonging to it in the hands of Bethune and Hunter. T0- uis Honour witness snid that tbe point of the criticism was that Hethune and Hunter a'ppari ntly held large sunis of tlie estate's tnoney with no hcriefit to the estate. Fredetick Hewitt, farmer"and stock buyer, W'aiiiukmau, naid lie was trustee of a property consisting of 940 ares which the late Mr H. J. Liinpus had brouglit /from Sir George Hunter. It adjoined the area now run by Ihe trustees of Sir George's estate. Witness gave technical details of the methods he had adopted in administering the Limpus estate. Thomas Ltawley' Lees, I'almciston North, lonnerly managing trustee of the Flock House station, corrohated the previous evidence on tlie condition of , the Hunter estate. He estimated that. the average return Irotn the estate over the last five years should have ucen £8882 10/7, without allowing for .nterest and mccme-tax^ The revenue ror this year, without taking into consideration income-tax and interest, should, under good management, have h:i n £14.C24 16/5. Dehective-Sergeant ReveiJ, said he had checked up all tlie wcol iu tlie Wellington store, and found it correct His ur.prcssidn tliat it might have got uiixed was incorrect. On looking up his file hc lound that l.ady Hunter first cornmunicated with the constable at \yaipukurau about tbe matter. Alr Wiliis and witness asked tliat the letters be not produced. as privileged and crnfidentiaL Mr Weston gsked that they be produced. The letters were taken as sealed exhibits by • his Honour. who said h« would give a decision on Monday.