SUPREME COURT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1704, 22 March 1913, Page 14

SUPREME COURT.

(Before the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout.) WHO PAYS? QUESTIONS FOR THE COURT. His Honour the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout, who presided at Thursday's sitting of the bupreme Court, was asked to settle the following questions, which aroso out-of an originating summons laid by tho Oroua Land Drainage Board:—

1. Whether tho Oroua Land Drainage Board as at present constituted is in any way liable for all or any part of the debts, or to contribute towards the payment of the liabilities, of the Oroua Land Drainage District as constituted previous to Septembor IG, 1912, being the date of an Order-in-Council excluding the present Sluggish Paver Drainage District from the district previously known as the Oroua Land Drainage District?. 2. If the answer to tho preceding question is in the affirmative, then is the Sluggish River Drainage Board liable to contribute any sum or sums towards the payment of su li debt, or debts, or auy part thereof? 3. If tho said Sluggish River Drainage Board shall bo so liable to such contribution as mentioned in paragraph .2, then to what extent is the said board so linblo? ■I. If the Sluggish . River Drainage Board is not linblo to contribute in the manner aforesaid, can tho liabilities of tho Oroua Land Drainage Board as constituted previous- to the Order-in-Council of September IG, 1912, bo apportioned as provided by Section 87 of the Land Drainage Act, 1908? 5. If tho said liabilities can be,apportioned as- nuyitioned in the preceding paragraph, can they be apportioned as provided by Section 87 of tho Act between the counties, road districts, and town districts as therein mentioned in such manner that the. Oroua Land Drainage B urd shall bo excluded from such'apportionment? Mr. 11. R. Cooper appeared for the Oroua Land Drainago Board, Mr. T. Young for the Sluggish River Drainago Board, Mr. F. H. Cooke for the Manawatu County • Council, and Mr. P. E. Baldwin for George M'Carthy (a Palmerston North contractor -to whom money was.said to bo owing on'a contract). Decision was reserved.