CLAIM FOR WAGES.
PETROLEUM COMPANY SUED. AN EMPLOYEE'S TROUBLES. An unusual procedure was adopted in connection with a case heard in the New Plymouth Court yesterday, in which the defendants had secured an adjournment, counsel for the plaintiff making application that the case should be gone on with', as he considered the adjournment had been applied for in bad faith, and with the sole idea of hindering the plaintiff's claim. The case was one in which L. W. Courtenay, drill expert (Mr. Quilliam) claimed from the British Petroleum Development Company the sum of &104 3s 4d, being a month's wages due to him under contract with the company.
For tlie claimant, Mr. QuiUiam further submitted that it was the policy of the courts to deal as expeditiously as possible with claims for wages. Courtenay had had considerable trouble with the company. Some time ago lie had instituted. proceedings for the recovery of n month's wages, and the company intimated up to the last that they were going to defend, and then paid tlie money into court. In this ease the wages claimed became due on September 19, and apparently no steps had been taken till the last moment, when the company then made application to have some evidence taken on commission in Auckland, and the fixture for this was made, evidently for as far ahead as the clerk of the court at Auckland would permit. If this was agreed to the case could not be heard for a month. There was a matter in dispute between Courtenay and the company, and during the month he had received a notice suspending him pending an investigation regarding some alleged charge against him. This was apparently a frivolous charge, and 110 attempt at investigation had been made. Counsel quoted authorities in support of the contention that the procedure of having evidence taken on commission was often abused, and a magistrate was not necessarily bound by an adjournment made for this purpose. Mr. Quilliam stated that another month's wages was falling du«, and other tttploytii el tht
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Taranaki Daily News, 19 October 1920, Page 5
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343CLAIM FOR WAGES. Taranaki Daily News, 19 October 1920, Page 5
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