CROWN SUITS ACT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 641, 19 October 1909, Page 5

CROWN SUITS ACT.

issue, of'your -paper cbritaine o'.: 'report .of..Mr.. Wilfprd's ■ speech -oh the AddrosS-in-Eeply. in' which' he made reference to , : the above Act.' Mr. - Wilf ord is repbrted' aa foUowsv-r :.' '''■■•-.'■" '..';'■ '•'■' ■.•.'■;■'■' -■".In regard 'to the former case' (Motorman Bartoft's) ithe, : Governtneiit had taken'up the position that the State coal wagon which injured' Barton. aras'nota 'public work,' whilst in'regard'to the latter case (Distributing Company's), the Government intimated that it could not say that what was complained about was not a'public work,' and.the case was heard." Thn't.-ispne vicw: ; : here is. ahpthor aspect of/ the. position.' Before the -general election' the Government admitted.-. that the coal depot was a'" public work•" and the company was able to issue:-:a writ/for damages, and secured'a iverdict : in'its'favour, but 'now that the elections are '■safely.-over the. same, depot is,no longer, a." public- work " and consequently it irresponsibly "continues to damage the :com-pany^s-promises to. tho tune, 0f',£450 per-.year; and L.no writ,can,-be-issued,.or, in fact, is-any legal remedy, open. to.the company. ' •:, . As' Mr. Wilford .says, .-"the .Act,,must he amended,".not. only for, snch cases as those iabove-mentioned,..but to protect in. common right,' any'.citizen or firm receiving injury, not onlyfrom ;the,coal depot or its' appliances, but' • other Government-.trading '< en-terpriee,-.-whether-'^present.or future.—l am, ■ e - -'.' : ,,•'•;-;: -' A./LEIGH. HUNT, Manager,:..', •'■": ''-. ■: NX; Farmers , ' Co-op. Dist. Coy., ;Ltd.( :pctobef. ; lß.'-. ..,/ ..'-. ■"'." ■:.'■• ,',•■•■;