COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION AGENCY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 227, 18 June 1908, Page 9

COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION AGENCY.

ALLEGATIONS DENIED. HEARING AGAIN ADJOURNED. 5 Tho case between Rosina Wright (Mr. Von' Haast), and Vandu, White (Mr. Levvoy),' in which plaintiff claimed £30 for alleg'od fraud- ' ulent .misrepresentation, was. continued yes- ' terday morning bel'oro Dr. M'Arthur, S.M. Continuing his ovideneo, defendant," Vanda White, said that lie brought, no undue pressure to hear upon Miss Wright to take - On; the business. Ho' denied tho conversation ? regarding the agreement, in" which lie' was - said io havo told her not to -worry. Until the dissension, she never mentioned that she signed anything without reading it;. When she started work, ho initiated lior into tho . business, and explained what-had to be done. , Miss Wright learnt typing very quickly,'and ; that was practically all she had to do fbr.tho first week. Witness had advertised for canvassers, but he did not secure any; and plaiil- ■ tiff did-not ask him to get rid of any of tliem. Business was naturally dull at firsti but now he had eighteen subscribers, and three or four who would not, pay until tlioy knew tho result of this action. • Nine 'wero yoarly members at a guinea, and iiino 'wore non-members who paid Is. per aPco'mit. ' If tlio latter had more than tw.onty-ono accounts tlioy paid more than the others. As to liis business, lie had received £~100 br"£soo.worfh of debts, with promises of about £2000 more.If necessary, ho could;give the names qf tho peoplo concerned. Regarding tho secret spoken of by Miss Wright',', ho knew nothing of. this, lie would deny that lady typists were to, bo '/ taken dofrn," but he, did say that if they shifted to larger.officosthat they might employ more typists, and'that'Miss Wright might teach the.hi.* As lo opening offices in Palmorston North, witness was. in communication with a man thorb' who had got into trouble, and "who wanted witness to tako the business over and :to put tho writoi; in as agont. If he was unablo to get a Palmorston lady, lie would, try to get one in Wellington, and if she did not understand the work, Miss-Wright .'was to instruct her. It would : not havo paid- him to. take Miss Wright tin and down the line, as sho suggested. Miss Wright, complained, of- tho slowness of tlio office,; and talked.:of- going home. lior people were', in "the; Old Country, she said, - and she felt ..very .lonely,, .. Sho wanted a livelier life, altogether;,and, wished him to dispose; of her share, •suggesting that ■lie should, advertise. Witness asked nor•' if sho would lie satisfied .if . she got £30,- but sho asked if it would not bo possible to. get more than that. Witness said ho would, try. She said that she would tako £30, and -herthird of the profit, and .ho could have tlio! .remainder. Between the. two, they made out tho advertisement. A.,.reply camo front tlio Holders. When pcoplo-.came, it was usual for Miss Wright to go-out, and if a friend of hers came, lie would )go out. There were only throo chairs, and: as she said it did not look well for the / manager to stand. There was no particular roason for hor. to •retire. Ho knew nothing of." tho . winking •mcntionod when the Holders'left, .and Misa Wright said nothing about. ifccSho .insisted upon gotting her money back, "and sho accused him of using her money. Ho explained that it had goii'oMif tlio' business; hp did not expect her to, so .soon,' tlio arrangement being six month's. ;.Sao saitl that she could not. help!that.' aiid'slio tlion' said that if ho did hot.'.pay. lief,.sho. would smash ,him iip. They left .the omco.'a'ndjio' visited his solicitor, Sir. Ecvvcy. ,The next day, plaintiff was standing-at-tho'offico door,' .and when he camo, alio askeji for. money,; .Witness referred her. to. his,..solicitor;, who. offorcd her a post-dated -chequp/fbV- £15. .After this.- he had a>^isi,t-from ,tho police,' then a summons. Hp.did not; make' any ,n»is-' representations to plaintiff.;,- 'j '{ Mr. Yoji Haast, asked tvjiy ho dfd»iioigivo ovideneo ./himself aboiit..,tlief; Otaki.trip in-, stead of casting n slur on plaintifEva'n4, re-fraining-from further mention of jit. .. ' '■• His Worship said-t'h'aii iioiv must.b'e investigated..u,... ... ; • -'Witness:'l did iiot^tftke,-,.tho.,plaintiff to Ot-nki) I went on Tuesday,' May 12,. by tho 4.15 p.m. train. Sho.'-"went'."by!th"o.saiho. train, as I found later..,, •" . i ...Mr. Von Haast: You . wont\ to- , several hotels together" for accommodation ?—Yes'.' Finally,'you went to -the.'-Jubilee?—Yos.'. Witness: Wo. booked : ona room., ..The book ffas not produced, arid no ■:signing.'was. w .quired. _ . . ...'"..' "V .' Continuing, witness .said:.that'Ji'6,',w'eht, to Palmerston in tho morning, and ho returned next day. It was. his original intention .to -go to Qtaki. Mr.-Von Haast: Did you the commercial room?— After. I had asked for a room.

Did yon brine; her a. glass of. she asked me to. .

Did not the girl show.. Miss Wright to her room ?—Yes; but sho 'was introduced to tho proprietress as Mrs. Wright. ' Do not the liamps sound alike?— Yes. . Did Miss Wright not' ask you .what- waß tho nunibcr of your room?— No. .'Only one room was booked. ■ ■ "Witness ..stated. that .they .\wero not. actually in the room . together....' _ _ Mr. Von Hnast: Did sho not sit up on a chair all night and , leaVo first train—No, I did tho sitting • up. .. ' - '' V... ' If you were anxious' to avoid '■ a ecnhdal, why jlid you go to tho hotel with her?—Sho said she had something important to tell me. She said it could 1)0 diseased at. tho hotel. '' ,- . Ami you had two hours in the-train, and you expect us to believe this?—Yo'ii aro:asking me, I am not asking ybu'.' ." " Did you have any reciprocal'business'ftom Dunedin and. Christclrarch?—A few letters. When Miss Hercus , joined'the'business at Dnnedin', did sho'pay you'£ls?—Yes.. 1 .transferred this to my partner: You sold out tho Clirist«hurch business for £25. and promissory noto for. £25?— Yes. Witness stated, that . the promissory uoto had since been destroyed.' r " • His Worship: You .-led me to believo that you still held tho jioto. ' I was" misled. —Witness:.- Unintentionally; your, Worship.: The witness explailietl, that the note -had .been improperly obtained, and afterwards torn up. _ > In reply to questions. Witness stated that Yates, tho Christchurcli partner, 'wrote him stating that the promissory noto was, invalid, and witness bad',to'.go', to .Christchurch. Tho .promissory noto Mi ,was...,taken from him by, a trick.' .'Three"'ihontlia had gone by, but beyond.'consulting" Lovvey and sending a letter to. Yates he had,, dono nothing. ... • A firm is suing you for £s?—Yes.' What for?—-Drapery.'.'... . .Did you toll Miss Wright this?— Yes., . Did you ask her to put in a word for you?— No. I told her that I' might bo served with a summons,- but. I'"had a.'.contra account, and that sho newl; not ;,„bo alarmed. She said,'-"That's 1 ; all, fight-.', I don't interfere with your affairs,:Mr.White." Why did you advertiso for a woman?—lthought one would bo''useful'-, for.-.-typing. - Did,you advertiso for. a man at first?— Yes. And you did not get-ono?—No.-So you thbught you would got a woman partner?— Yes. ; - 1 Although you told: Mr. . Levvoy. that getting a woman was the-mistake of your life? —Yes. Miss Wrighin suggested advertising for a woman. h, You .said in tho cifcular, "agents everywhere"?— That is a.license. 1 You- say _ you had twenty years' experience?—T did commission-work in America and Melbourne. ) Under your present .name? —No. Under what natno?'. : . - •••-. >• •/ ; Witness: Must I answer 'that?lt is"a matter, of family—r His Worship:. Yes, it is a 'mattpt' of .credcnco.- • • '• - ■ Mr. Von Haast: What "was tlio name?— Scarl. ~. Aro.smne of the awount's -yon'take' ,'up doubtful?—ln some eases.- ■ At this stage the case was further adjourned until Monday at 2.15 p.m..'