A HELP OF TAILINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 281, 25 November 1915, Page 2

A HELP OF TAILINGS.

.- •--■-• • <®p : LEADS TO IJTZGATIOIT. -- JUd: RHX>rER. ALLEGED LOXX; : " Mr* Justice Hosking was engaged at the Supreme Court to-day with the hearing of a claim which involved the experience off in' a gold-saving venture at Coromandel. The parties were Dr. Lewis Leon James,—of- Devonpbrt, plaintiff, and the -defendant, the action being to recover the sum of .£SOO alleged to iiave been lent by the plaintiff 16" the defendant during the course o£ - their joint interest in the speculation. Mr. H. H. Ostler appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. J. R. Reed. K.C.; jrith. Mr.. John; Alexander, for the defendant Mr: Ostler explained that fte plaintiff had seen; a jejvspaper paragraph in an Auckland .paper .in 1913, stating that a ilr. Petrie (■whose addre3S was given) had_ secured Jtie rights over a hea.p of verr Tich- "tailings in Coromaudel. 'and proposed to -woTk it. Dr. James approached Petrie to parehase a share in the venture, and after a series of letters had passed between them Petrie made James an offe"r of -a- fifteenth for £300, and.a further £100 from-ihe first lirbfits. This -was the beginning of the transactions between the parties, and ibeir experience "nith the Kapanga Gold ißecove.ry Co n leading up to the alleged loan <*' £500. ;Ifc was mentioned by Mr. Eeed during cbneideration of a eide fesue that everygone wrong TPith the venture. Petrie had obtained assays of the tailings both in X«w Zerfaiii-and in Australia, and had had the heap ■measnred by a f>(4t>ol of SfrrHs man. 'He had sunk everything he had in the speciriafion. The assays had 'been, misleading, and the measurement was jnst twice more than the actual material. The plant had cost--£6OOO to jnstal, Trhereae the defendant had adriseithat it cduldie erected. Tor £2000. It was riot Buggested by fie plaintiff that there had been fraud,.or. .thai defendant had not honestly beiieved in the yahie of fie proposition, but it, was suggested- by counsel that tbferc had -iron a certain amount of misrepresentation regarding f&e' progress thnt was ficing made. The case is proceeding.