HELENSVILLE S.M. COURT.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 29 June 1916, Page 3

HELENSVILLE S.M. COURT.

SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 1916.

(Before Mr E. Page, S.M.)

THE usual Magistrate's Court was held at Helensville, when about 20 civil cases were dealt with. Of these only four were defended.

Smith v. Fitzgerald. This was a claim for £30 wages and 30s in lieu of notice. Evidence had been taken for the defendant at Dargaville, but as he was himself ill in bed, an adjournment was granted.

Mackenzie and Son v. Mrs Little ; claim £4 10s. Mr Field for plaintiff, and Mr Hall Skelton for defendant. After a somewhat lengthy hearing, in which both the plaintiffs and the defendant gave evidence, judgment for the plaintiffs, with costs was given.

Stewart Bros. Ltd. v. Joe Cain ; claim £23 5s 6d. Mr Field for plaintiffs, and Mr J. A. Beale for defendant. The defendant also put in a counter-claim for £9 odd, one item of which was eight bottles of oysters. Messrs J. Stewart and H. W. Stringer were called as witnesses for plaintiffs and clearly proved the plaintiff's case. Mr Stewart, in answer to a question re the oysters, could not say whether they had been obtained or not, as the claim was about seven years' old, but he was quite willing to take Mr Cain's word for it. In the end Messrs Stewart Bros, obtained judgment for £22 9s 6d and costs. being the whole of their claim, less the oysters.

Austin v. Solomon. Mr Hall Skelton for defendant. In this case there was no appearance of the plaintiff, and the defendant waived all claim for costs, because plaintiff was a poor old man on the gumfields who was practically destitute. The case was struck out.

Judgment was given for the plaintiff in the following undefended cases: —H. Graham v. T. B. Robinson, £7 9s 8d; Stewart Bros. Ltd. v. Robt. Bates, £26 8s 9d ; same v. H. Middleton, £1 5s 5d ; same v. Erna Iwi Hill, £6 5s 2d ; same v Rata Wiapo, £21 17s lid ; same v Hami Tomiti. £1 7s; same v Rupert White, £7 Is 6d ; same v Arapeta Wati, £1 13s 6d ; same v Kapia Iwingara, £4 4s 9d; same v Matiu Parata, £3 Os lid ; same v Billy Brown, £31 Os 3d ; same v Frank Bulford, £19 17s 7d; same v Joseph Massey, £4 3s; George Twidle v Smythe, £2 10s.

Orders were granted on the following judgment summonses: —Stewart Bros. Ltd. v Pihema Tamati, £35 Is 4d; F. L. Cubitt vJ. Fenton, £4 18s 6d ; Stewart Bros. Ltd. v Tiki Paoro, £5 13s sd; same v Tahana Piwara s £14 Is.

Mr Field appeared for the plaintiffs in all the above cases.