ENGINEERS AND MEAT CO.'S AT LAW

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3131, 9 July 1917, Page 6

ENGINEERS AND MEAT CO.'S AT LAW

By Telegraph—Press Association. Gisborne, July 6. An action of importance to engineers and cold storago firms was concluded en Saturday after ten (lays' hearing, before Mr. Justice Hosking and a special jury. Niven and Co. claimed ;£fioS from tho Poverty Bay Meat Company, balance alleged to be duo on a compressor. The meat company counter-claimed for .fi-1000 damages owing to a breakdown of tho compressor. At the end of plaintiffs' case defendants abandoned tho defence to Niven's claim. The question on the coun-ter-claim centred around the efficiency valve which broke in the compressor. This Meat Company urged that there was insufficient clearance in the valve, and tliar the running of the compressor for fivo months was due to the fact that it waa doing only a light load. Messrs. Niven and Co. contended that the mishap was due to the Meat Company's staff. Jho jury, to whom no written issues wove put, returned after four hours with a verdict for ,£3OO for the Meat Company, bein" .£'oo to provide -another sot of valves and cover and 41100 to repair the cracked bed-plate of the compressor. A. motion by plaintift for judgment on the claim anil by defendants for judgment on tho counter-claim was adjourned to Wellington, where the question, of costs will le fought out. Mr. M. Myers, Wellington appeared'for the MeafComiiany, and Mr' C P. Skerrett, K.C., for Niven and Co.