ALLEGED OVERCHARGE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 69, 20 March 1908, Page 2

ALLEGED OVERCHARGE.

RICHARDSON V. ABEL DYKES AND COMPANY. At the Magistrate's Court this afternoon (before Mr. C. C. Kettle, S.M.) William Richardson brought an act in against Abel Dykes and Company to recover the sum of £ IGS 2/4 —money alleged to have been overcharged for work done in connection with the printing of the "■Auckland Free Press.' ,

Mr. Richardson conducted his own case, and Mr. Thorne appeared for the defendant company. In opening the case for the plaintiff, Mr. Richardson said he had entered an arangement with defeniVnts to print the "Auckland Free Press" at the rate of 13/(5 a thousand. That arrangement was entered into some years ago, but the amounts he had paid varied ranging from £1 up to as much as 3.3/ per thousand. He did not discover for some time his mistake, and he then interviewed defendants, who on two occasions offered to

"square" the matter by returning certain promissory notes whien he had not yet met. He (Mr. Richardson), however, would hear of no other basis of settlement than an absolute investigation of accounts. Defendants asked him to furnish a statement of account which he did, but they had not come to any arrangement. lie had done all he possibly could to get a friendly amicable arrangement arrived at.

Herbert (Jeorgi , . compositor, said that In- had charge of the ■■Auckland Free Press" for plaintitT. He made an arrangement witli .Messrs. Abel. Dykes and Company lor the paper to be printed at 13/6 a thousand. That was four or five years ago. and he had a very indistinct recollections of the negotiations.

Edwin Phipps, a master printer, said that 11 fair price for the work in question would be 12/ i) per thousand. (Proceeding.