UNION SECRETARY SLANDERED.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 October 1924, Page 1

UNION SECRETARY SLANDERED.

FULL AMOUNT AWARDED. GBEYMOUTH, October 7. Full damages were allowed Henry Kirk, secretary of the Gre.vmoutli Wharf Labourers’ Union in bis claim for .slander heard at the .Magistrate’s Court before Mr W. Meldrum, S.M., this morning, against Donald Lindsay Mumly. labourer. The action arose out of an address given from the balcony of the Albion Hotel on the evening of Sunday. March .'ll), before an audience of about 100 to fit 10.

1*1:1 iuti(f, in bis .statement of claim .set out that he bail been lalsely and maliciously slandered by the deleiidant who had made use <d the Billowing words:—“Some of these l ninii secretaries were sent to agol once a month and wore set In plant trees. Kirk, the secretary of the Wharf Union, does mil want me and put me out of flic Union. Where have tho funds gone toB They have not gone through the cracks in the Ihior. Where are they I - '” Meaning thereby.

and being understood to mean by those present, that the plaiutitf had stolen, and was in the habit nl stealing the funds of the Union of which lie was secretary and ihaL he hud been guilty of an inilietalile olTem-e. The plaintiff claimed that lie had been mill'll prejudiced by the delendani'.s words, and had been injured in his credit and reputation and in his profession of Union seerelarv, wherefore he claimed damages totalling l!!)7 IBs. Mr \Y. .1. Joyce appeared lor Kirk and .Mr AY. B. McCarthy for defendant.

Donald Mumly, the defendant, said he was formerly a member of the Greymonth Watersider.s’ Union, with which lie had had some trouble, lie addressed a meeting of the public- from the balcony of the Albion Hotel. He spoke about the financial position of the union, as discussed at the last meeting of the union attended by witness. Mr Kirk said that the finanical position of the Union would not wairant the payment of L'!s a week to a man and that he would have to go hack to work on the wharf. Defendant wished to know why a l niou employing 2!)0 members could not. pay a man U(i a week - . Kirk stated that the Union was in a splendid financial position. AA lien he spoke about the matter at: the meeting Air Kirk injected: "Do you think t.lmt I l'"t it in my own pocket!'” AA it ness answered, “AYell, has it gone through the cracks in the Ilnur!”

In giving judgment, the Magistrate said Hint "two of the witnesses had definitely sworn Ln the words used by the defendant and the other witnesses, though they could not remember definitely wlmt. was said, made it deal that tin' impression lie had given was Unit Kiri; had interfered with the funds. Letters had been received from unions in other places demanding information regarding the .statements which showed that they had be..„ widely circulated. In view ol this, the iiminmt claimed was ver\ small. He would give judgment tor plaiutitf for the lull amoiinl claimed.