LOSS OF FLAX CROP

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 462, 18 September 1928, Page 2

LOSS OF FLAX CROP

CLAIM AGAINST FARMERS COURT GRANTS SMALL SUM Judgment for plaintiffs for £ls was given by Mr. Justice Reed in the Supreme Court yesterday in the action bv Hauraki Flaxgrowers and Hemp Producers (Mr. Holmden) for £I,OOO general damages and £338 15s special against 'Thorpe Bros., of Paeroa (Mr. Tack). Plaintiff claimed that defendants negligently sowed flax seed to be raised to plants for the company. Tne seed, valued at £ 300, became a total loss. The company also were delayed a year in their operations. The defence was that defendants were not experts in the 'work, tljiu sowing was complicated by the condition of the seed and that the failure was due partly to the condition of tne ground, of which plaintiffs had been warned, and partly to drought. The Judge said that flax culture along the lines indicated in the case appeared to be largely new both to plaintiffs and defendants. Very loo6 J arrangements about the work W been made. He was not satisfied an> definite instructions about sowing baa been given to defendants. His ordered that £ls of the sum of paid to defandants for the work should be refunded. Costs on the Magistrate's Court scale wore allowed.