HUNTER ESTATE CASE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 183, 6 July 1937, Page 12

HUNTER ESTATE CASE

EVIDENCE FOR DEFENCE. MANAGER’S STATEMENT. WELLINGTON, July 0. Details of the conduct of the late Sir George Hunter’s sheep station at Porangahau were given when the hearing of evidence was continued to-day in the Supreme Court on behalf of Cyril Paul Hunter, of Akitio, and Thomas Percy Hunter, of Porangahau, the trustees of Sir George’s estate and the defendants in an action brought by his widow, Lady Hunter, for their removal from the trusteeship. She alleges mismanagement by them and they deny it. To-day was the thirteenth day of the hearing of the case. Mr Justice Smith is presiding. Mr J. 1). Willis and Mr R. R. Scott are appearing for plaintiff and Air C. H. Weston, K.C., and Air J. H. Dunn for defendants.

Continuing his evidence, the first witness for defendants, Lawrence Cowan, manager of the station, said that dipping conditions in Sir George’s time could not have been good, as the sheep were so badly infested with lice. He detailed the steps taken to improve tlie dipping conditions. He considered that the flock to-day was reasonably good and there was no reason why it should not become second to none. Mr Percy Hunter had always taken an active part in improving the property. said the witness. He could not possibly have taken more interest in the place. DIFFICULTIES FACED.

The witness spoke of the many difficulties lie had had to face, including those of finance, and said that ho did not think lie could have done anything more than lie had. He had striven to improve the stock, the fencing, and the water supply. He had used his own car at his own expense on station work and had paid all the telephone toll accounts, bought all the stationery ho used, and practically all the stamps himself. He sold his car when a station truck was bought. AVlicn he took over there were 13 men on the station, said Cowan, but he had worked it with ten. That number was a minimum. One of the employees, whoso retention had been criticised adversely because lie was 72 years old, had an invaluable knowledge of the station through his 36 years’ work there. He was quite a capable shepherd and well worth his wages. He had not been away sick in the past seven years.

Another employee 62 years old. who Had been injured in Sir George Hunter’s employment, had been on the station for 34 years. He had now resigned, but was still doing odd jobs for his keep. The experience of this mail, too, was valuable to the station. CO-OPERATION BY STATIONS. There was no truth in the suggestion that there was a certain amount of drinking on the station, though a cook laid been dismissed For drinking, as lie (witness) would not have liquor there. There had always been a system of co-operation between the George Hunter estate and the Paul Hunter estate, continued tho witness. The former cstute often borrowed implements from the latter, which helped the George Hunter estate in many ways. For tho use of the George Hunter estate woolshed the Paul Hunter estate paid its share of the cost of materials and power used, fire insurance, and maintenance. Bv the employment of tho hands of the two stations there was a saving in the employment of outside hands. The arrangement was of benefit to the George Hunter estate. TREATMENT OF SKNS.

Skills brought in off the run and from the slaughterhouse were, when the witness came to the property, put in the woolshed, lie said. They were painted with an arsenical dip. About April, 1933, he noticed that rats were eating the skins in the woolshed and they were all repainted. Still the rate ate them. The rat-eaten ones were trimmed and baled for sending away, but it was later found that they were badly weevil-infested. They were then tipped over a sandbank. Their number, he estimated, would be 120 to 150. A lot of skins sent away previously bad not brought a good price. He kept the rat-eaten pieces lie had trimmed off and was told by a wool-classer that they were of no value. The woolshed had not since been used for storing

skins and they had had no trouble with rats or weevils since. KEEPING OF CULL LAMBS.

It had not been the policy of Sir George Hunter to sell cull lambs, and the death rate hacl been quite reasonable—below 10 per cent. Witness considered the horse-paddock, where the cull lambs ran, was ideal for the purpose, He himself thought it would be foolish to sell cull lambs, as they were more profitable to keep. Until December, 1936, they had never killed sheep under five years old. He considered lie had carried out good farming practice so iar as killing was concerned. Witness said there were 28 working sheep dogs and 23 ,rahbit dogs, exclusive of pups, on the station. Deferring to the dairy cows, witness said that when lie went to the station the cows wero only milked once a da\' in the morning; for the rest of tlm day the calves were allowed to run with them. All the butter used was bought—none was made on the station. He altered that—tlie cows were milked twice a day and the butter used was made on the station. To His Honour, witness said Ins salary since January, 193/, was £4OO. When lie went on the station lie received a salary of £3OO. _ In 1932. because of the depression, it was reduced to £225. In 1935 it was increased to £275. INVITED TO ADDRESS. Lady Hunter had always been hostile to the trustees, said witness. “She told me on one occasion that she would never rest as long as Cyril -and Percy Hunter had anything to do with the place. That was in the early days of the trusteeship. Witness also said he had been invited by Lady Hunter to ho present when she addressed the hands, blit lie did not attend. Cross-examined by Mr Willis, witness said lie left school when he was 18. Ho went to a Gisborne station of 7900 acres where lie was “everything” for five years; then he had four years at the Tomoana Freezing Works; then for three years lie was working on his father’s stud cattle farm, where there wore no sheep. Thus, before he became manager of the Hunter station his actual working with sheep was five years. Over a period of years Mr Cyril Hunter had visited the farm two or three times, hut lie knew everything that had gone on through Mr Percy Hunter, and through various talks witness had had with him. To His Honour, witness said there was nothing in writing when he was engaged as manager by Mr Percy Hunter and Mr Cyril Hunter. He always looked on Mr Percy Hunter as liis supervisor. Various matters relating to the running of the station were “not so much instructions as discussions with Mr Percy Hunter. I went up to life house pretty often.” The ease will he resumed at 10.30 this morning.