DAWSON V.N.Z. MILLINERY SUPPLIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 200, 24 August 1929, Page 10

DAWSON V.N.Z. MILLINERY SUPPLIES.

As one of the N counsel appearing ftr the defendants in , the above case; heatdH at the Supreme Court .yesterday, I deem, it my .duty to comment on certain state-.' m£nts made by the plaintiff when giving / "■'lt! occurs to me that an unfortunate';'*■ inference may be,drawn from the : 'teport •v> thai- the plaintiff." -stated is&..' Customs official who was ciied as a party, i iu the,case had obtained hats .imported I; by local manufacturers, had taken, them to the factory in. question and had 'ibem, • ■ copied. .This was "merely the' ameorro- ;« borated /of .the plaintiff, \ The . Collector of Customs, : giyjng ■ ; .. evidence, admitted that-it would have. :/ been impossible for an officiarto.take ■• hats<away and .have them copiecj.' without .% the knowledge and approval of;' -th^'\' importer and the-agent for the manufacturers. This evidence frtiifl the collector '• was, in fact, proof that it would have been impossible for any official to do/ what the plaintiff alleged. The evidenge. of the plaintiff was, in fact, irrelevant to the allegations: of the defendants, that the plaintiff was working for an oppo- ( sition factory whilst employed- , by the defendants: .His Honor, in giving judgment for .the defendants, found ifis alle- \ gations proved. XJnfortunatelyj : ' how-, ever, this evidence is not in ■ your account of the case. .

I should add that an inquiry; .was .held regardingOthe reported asso-' : . ; ciation of. the official in question -with' ; ■the inilliii'ery factory, and it was proved' •? ;tp the satisfaction of the Department •that the 'official" had no finaucial interest ; ,in connection:witßf the factory. A memo- ' jrandum; in corroboration of these facts r v !was, in fact, produced in Court, but your..*, ireport does.not mention.this.'. \ . •., " „/,

8..5..-.BTJRT.