LIBEL ACTION.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13901, 28 November 1910, Page 8

LIBEL ACTION.

THE CAREY-BLACK CASE. (FIUUa ASSOCIATION TXUCSIUU.) WELLINGTON, November 23. The Chief Justice gave judgment today in the case Carey v. Black, claim £501 for alleged libel published in the "Socialist Leader." His Honour said that defendant had utterly failed to show- the statements were true or the comment "bona fide. It was only charitable to suppose that the writer was unaware of the meaning of the English language, for he used words entirely unwarranted by any facts brought out. Plaintiff was entitled to recover. His Honour did not know if tlio full damages claimed would he too much to give under the circumstances, but to give excessive damages against a man of no means woe no use. Damages would be fixed at £70 with costs. In the course of his judgment, the Chief Justice said: —"I think that I must say that it is much to bo regretted that those who advocate the 'Brotherhood of Man' and 'individual liberty' should show, if this paper, 'The Leader,' is a sample of their advocacy, that their ideals do not always influence their conduct. The defendant says that he was not the writer of the article, and that if he had been in his office at the time the article would have been couched in different language. lam glad he made that statement, for it shows that he realises that no cause is well served by abusive tirades, but I regret that, swing that he has said so he _ could not have corrected the article in a subsequent issue before the writ was issued. H e has and by pleading the truth of the article and fair comment, not only adopted the article but defended it as true.''