NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, 23 May 1918, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

ALLEGED LIBEL. DAMAGES AGAINST NEWSPAPERS. WELLINGTON, May 22. At the Supreme Court, Mr. Justice Edwards and a jury are engaged hearing a case in which Luther Hopkins, solicitor, claims £2OOO for alleged libel from, each of the following papers:—Evening Post, N.Z. Times, Dominion and New Zealand Herald. The alleged libel was contained in a Press Association telegram from Christchurch, which was headed, "Solicitor Struck off the Roll," when, as a matter of fact, a ruie-nisi only was applied for. Plaintiff 1 claimed' 1 t&t his credit, profession, -and- reputation had been injured^ * The defence admits publication, but claims it'was without malice, and points, ~out that. .t^e r "papers :concerned published before "the 'action was commenced. s

The jury awarded £2OO damages ,to apportioned among the four papers, at £SO each; 'Judgment was entered for plaintiff accordingly, with costs against each defendant t&z&M lowest up to the stage of the issue of lour writs, and for the rest as for one action for £2OO. the remainder-of the costs to be borne ih equal shares among the" several defendants-. • ?.\ £,WAR i^ENSIpNSy r i WELLINGTON, May 21. The war pensions-. ]total is fast approaching the million mark. To March 31st, the number of pensions granted to soldiers and their dependents was 12,477, and the total annual value of the pensions was The aver- ; age rate of pension was £62 per annum, i