LIBEL ACTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 41, 9 July 1914, Page 8

LIBEL ACTION.

A DUXEDIN CASE. By Telegraph—Pi cm Association. Christcliurch, July 8. Andrew Fai; bairn's claim for £IOO for libel against the Utago Daily Timjs opened before .Mr. Ju-.tice Sim to day. For plaintiff Sir Juim Findlay and -Mr. Wriglit are appearing, and for defendants Messrs. Alciliegor ;ind 'Stringer, in opening the ease Sir John I-'indhy said that Mr. Fair bairn first rcfu-eu to aft on the 10.-t of Living Commission in 1!)1'2, lniL consented when lie' found his name gazetted.. A leadiua article in the Times -hoided "FaV.--l' Official Documents" implied that the commission had distorted the evidence. The mere fact that the xeport was iliii'erent from the newspapers' report was not sufficient on which to base a charge cf rascality. Tile article was actuated by malice unprecedented in the anna's of Dominion journalism and showed that the writer was unlit for his position. Plaintiff's case was that there was 110 tampering, but that all the official reports were corrected by the witness. The charge of suppression rested on the statements about Reck ill's Dine. alleged to have been made bv Cuthbert Bourjer and H. W. .Tamieson and not included in the official report. Et.tie Rout, the official reporter, said tli.it Jamie.-on did not make a statement before the commission. .Jamieson cor. rifted and sicned an official report. Dr. .Tames Uight, a member of the commission, slated that the statement n« ,gardmg blue wa, m t made by Jamie son. No propo-als were made by th: ctnimis-ion to tamper with the vidence.