MOTOR-CAR REPAIRS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 56, 7 March 1914, Page 7

MOTOR-CAR REPAIRS.

A CONTESTED CLAIM. Evidi’lire was taken <‘U tin l Court yesterday morning in the case bredcrick Kibblewhite v. Tom E. Paget, a claim tor repairs to a motor car lor £2B—Tit) for time and £9 for material. Mr Wright appeared for plaintiff and Mr Kutherfurd for defendant.

The case is to be heard at Christchurch.

Mr Wright said there would be a cross action by Dr. Puget agains. Kibblewhite, and lie desired that the evidence might be regarded as applying to both actions.

Defendant gave evidence that in January, 1913, he was in "Christchurch. He took his Siddeley-Deasly car to plaintiff’s garage. Owing to an accident to the speed lever the car could only be run on the reverse gear. He had run two miles on the rovers ' gear and then railed the car to the garage. The engineer at the garage jerkm! the lever hack into position and witness drove the car for about a mile to see if there was anything else wrong with the gears or the gearbox. The car went well on all four forward gears. The engineer was iu ,-he car on this run. One of the finn’s representatives was instructed to do certain overhaul work on the rar. The work was to he done in .t bout four days, the ear to bo then shipped to witness at Wellington. U'ter discussion, it was decided that t would not he necessary to take oh

:lic gear-box to attend to the gearevcr. Witness gave clear instructions that the gear-box was not to ;o taken off. The items in Kibble.vliite’s work hook (produced) on page ;;)S were the instructions given by vitness. The first item was merely he tightening of a few holts on the ■oupling and should not tdke a eomretent man more than half an hour. ! c himself could do the work in that inie. r i'he axle had previously been .trnightened after having been bent ,•■arse than it was on the occasion in piestion. Ho himself had renewed he high-tension wiring, and the work ,>ok about an hour and a half. Mr Wright asked if witness’s speed ;>.d any bearing on the ease. The S.M. said Mr Wright could ■dilute his objection on his copy of he evidence. 'Witness continued through the whole of the thirteen items of the ac■ount, contending that the time charg'd for each was excessive. Ho did not lispute the charges for material. His '■ dim ate of the worth of the time ro--1 aired for the repairs was £G IGs Gd. Witness said he had been a driver of motor cars or motor bikes for twelve rears, during which time he had him;elf done the majority of the necessary overhauling. An item for freight on a spare wheel was owing to plaintiff’s negligence in not sending the w heel with the car.

Dr. Paget also gave evidence on a cross action for £7 15s for damage to his car. He alleged that when the car was returned to him one of the gear •latches was in such a state that repairs costing £7 15s were necessitated. George Hutchinson, of Hawera, motor expert, gave detailed evidence in the direction of proving that a reasonable charge for the work done would be about a third of the actual charge.

The hearing was concluded this morning when Leslie R. Curtis, motor expert, was examined.