AFTER DISMISSAL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 43, 20 February 1942, Page 6

AFTER DISMISSAL

CLAIM BY EMPLOYEE

Alleging unwarranted dismissal from the position of superintendent of the defendants' chocolate factory Ernest Bristow Millen (Mr. Beckerleg) made a claim before Mr. Justice Fair and a jury in the Supreme Court to-day against Browne Brothers and Geddes, Limited (Mr V. R. Meredith), for £225 as due under contract and for £500 general damages. Mr. Beckerleg stated that in June, 1941, a contract was entered into between plaintiff and the defendant company whereby plaintiff was to be superintendent of the factorv, subject to directions from the directorate, and that condition was a continuous cause of complaint. Browne Brothers and Geddes, Limited, was an old firm, which was re-registered in 1923 and had carried on since. The whole of the company's shares, with the exception of 100, were held by Mr. C. G. Macindoe. The burden of plaintiff's complaint was constant interference bv Mr. Macindoe which precluded him from properly carrying out his contract. The contract was for six months and should have been carried on to December 20, 1941. but before that Mr. Macindoe dismissed him, alleging disrespect, disloyalty to the firm, use of offensive words about Mr. Macindoe, and incompetence as a manager. Counsel went on to say that complaints of the quality of the goods were admitted by plaintiff, whose explanation was that it was Mr. Macindoe's interference that affected the quality of the goods, and that it also prevented plaintiff from managing the factory competently. The allegation of disloyalty had reference to plaintiff, when he saw that his contract would not be renewed by Mr. Macindoe, writing to three other firms with a view to getting a position with one of them. The plaintiff denied using offensive words about Mr. Macindoe when speaking of him to other people. Plaintiff's evidence on the lines indicated is proceeding.