PALMERSTON COURT.

Shannon News, 30 September 1921, Page 3

PALMERSTON COURT.

/it the Magistrate’s Court at Palmerston on Tuesday, judgment was given for plaintiffs in the following undefended cases: Harper and Merton (Mr Merton) v. E. Porter (Shan- ( non), claim £1 Os 6d for professional" services and disbursement, with 8s costs. t Dawber Motors,-Ltd. (Mr Cooper) v. T. Dalziell (Makerua), claim £O2 75.-id for goods supplied, with £4 19s 6d costs. WAGES CLAIM. ,■ Temple Carr, butcher, of Shannon (Mr Oram) proceeded , against James Schwass, farmer, of Tokomaru (Mr Cooper), for the,recovery of £l6O for wages alleged to be due. Evidence was given by plaintiff and by S. It. Walters, a former employee of defendant, in support of the contention That plaintiff had not been paid his wages regularly and that the amount claimed was owing. Defendant, in evidence, said that after he had dismissed plaintiff, the latter for the first time informed witness that he had not paid himself out. of cash received at the shop, as he had been instructed to do with the other employees. ‘Agness Schwass, wife of defendant, stated that she had always understood from the monthly statement of plaintiff that plaint/ff had paid himself out of cash. The business had always shown a profit until plaintiff itook charge, hut afterwards it had been run at a loss. The Magistrate held that the evi deuce adduced by the defence proved nothing, except that defendant did not keep proper books of his business. Plaintiff had sworli that the only wages lie had received were shown on the cash book, and defendant’s e\i* dence had shown that no dispute arose until plaintiff was dismissed. Defendant should .have known by the general statement rendered by plaintiff whether the wages were paid or not. There was no evidence whatever that plaintiff had misappropriated any money. Judgment would be for the £l6O claimed, with costs and expenses totalling £ls 10s 2d.