CONTRACTOR AND FARMER

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 8, Issue 484, 25 November 1919, Page 2

CONTRACTOR AND FARMER

Claim and Counter.

A case of considerable interest to the farming community generally, occupied the attention of the Magistrate's Court for two days. Fredk. William Adolph, chaffcutting contractor of Pukekohe, proceeeded to recover, from Henry Vincent Dyke, farmer of Mauku, £2 12s6d, amount due for cutting 140 bags of chaff, at £1 17s 6d per 100 bags. The defendant denied that he owed the mor.ey, and counter claimed £75 on the grounds that any work done, was not done in accordance with a contract to cut out three stacks of chaff. The Magistrate (Mr F K. Hunt), after hearing the whole of the evidence, intimated that the primary cause of the dispute was that the plaintiff did not give defendant a reasonable time with which to comply with a demand for more men, and in his hasty temper had pulled out, and thereby caused defendant a certain am -uant of dam age. He also intimated that he thought the defendant should have had the men, when the engine arrived, but the fact of the men not being there was not a ground upon which the plaiutiff could pull out and determine his contract. Any delay which was caused by the defendant not having his men on the ground, as s >on as the chaff cutting plant arrived, could have been met by compensation. In view of the lengthy evidence and the adjournment he would peruse the evidence His Worship intimated also, that there are two chaff cutting contractors, in the district, and if they put their heads together to work in combine, the farmers would be at their m9rcy. He reserved his decision. Mr W. P Hopkins appeared for plaintiff and Mr Percy H. Basley for defendant