FURNISHING A CHURCH

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22335, 24 February 1938, Page 13

FURNISHING A CHURCH

BUSINESSMAN LOSES £IOO CASE BEFORE COURT AT TIMARU How a Timairu businessman lost about £IOO in the furnishing of a new Spiritualist Church, which had a brief existence in Timaru, was related at a sitting of the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. During the evidence it was alleged that the plaintiff, who was suing an unemployed man for recovery of a debt, had taken a prominent part in the establishment of the —lovement “on a commercial The claim was for £23 8s lOd brought by Smith’s Open Warehouse, Ltd., against Walter H. Mill, for goods supplied to Mill and his wife. Mr H. Morgan, S.M., was on the bench. Mr L. G. Cameron appeared for plaintiff, and Mill conducted his own case.

Giving evidence, the plaintiff, Frederick Smith, trading as Smith’s Open Warehouse, Ltd., said that defendant purchased various articles of clothing from him in the ordinary way of business..

From the box, Mill said that he entered Smith’s premises about August of last year to make some purch: ses, buying a suit of clothes on terms. Smith asked him whQt he did for a living and witness told him that he was on sustenance. Smith said to him: “You are a Spiritualist, are you not?” Witness agreed that such was the case. Smitl then asked him how he would like to take a hail and start a Spiritualist church. Witness said that he obtained a hall overlooking Caroline Bay, the then Mayor (Mr P. C. Vinnell) opening the church one Sunday. It never paid financially. Before he took charge of the church he was told by Smith that he wanted him to look at his best on the platform, also his wife, and that anything required would be supplied by Smith, who Was to receive all the money coming into the church. Smith said, “Between you and me I am worth £12,000. You need not worry. None of these goods will go through as business transactions, I will give you my oath on that.” To the Bench, Mill said that Smith had envelopes printed in which U receive o:?erings from members of the church. Witness was to be the lecturer. No charge was made for attending the meetings. "Did you have many adherents?” asked the Magistrate.

Witness: No. we had about 100 on the opening night and took about 255, but the rent of the hall was 255. He added that Smith paid for a man- and his wife to appear on the platform. Including week-night lectures, the takings weekly would amount to about 40s. The Magistrate: Plaintiff expected to make a fortune out of it?— Yes. Did he attend?—No, he would not even take a back seat. Smith was again placed in the box and in answer to the Magistrate he said that he was not an adherent of the church and had assisted Mill out of goodness of heart. He was not a believer fn Spiritualism. He admitted that he had spent about £IOO in supplying furnishings for the church. In delivering judgment,, the Magistrate said that he was not satisfied that some of the articles on which the claim was based were not gifts. Judgment would be given to Smith for £8 15s for the lines Mill admitted purchasing, but Smith would be nonsuited on the other items of the claim, with costs.