ARSENICAL POISONING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 87, 10 April 1908, Page 5

ARSENICAL POISONING.

FARMER'S EMPLOYEES CLAIM DAMAGES. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) GORE, this day. In the Gore Court yesterday three claims, totalling £400, were made acjainst John Dixon, a farmer, of Otama. The claimants were employed by respondent in August of last year, when everyone in Dickson's house, numbering ten, including four workmen, were laid aside by an attack of vomiting. Doctors diagno.ied the cases as arsenical poisoning. It was then found that a tin containing a preparation used for killing Californian thistle, which had been hanging in a storeroom by a wire, had fallen through the wire rushing, and the poison had apparently reached the foodstuffs. It was stated one claimant for £200 had lost the power of his limbs, and was still unable to work, and some of the family were still under the doctor's care.

Counsel for the claimants argued that the accident came within the terms of the Workers' Compensation Act.

Counsel for the defence submitted that the case must fail, :u the claims were not lodged within four months. He further argued that there had been no accident, and that if there had been, it was not one arising out of the men's ordinary employment, irnd that their employment must be the cause before the claimants could recover; further, that if they could recover, nil that could be claimed was half wages.

Counsel for the claimants held that thrir claims were not prejudiced by failure to give notice, and argued that the poisoning came within the definition of accident.

Judgment was reserved.