SEAMEN'S UNION SUED

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 255, 22 July 1920, Page 5

SEAMEN'S UNION SUED

THE M'GREGOR CASE . LEGAL ARGUMENT HEARD Argument in the caeo of James M'Gregor, seaman, against William Thomas Young, general secretary of the Now Zealand Federated Seamen's Union, was yesterday heard by the Full Court. In February last If'Gregor sued the Seamen's Union for MOM damages on the ground that on or about November 26, 1919, he had been wrongfully suspended from the union, and had been prevented from following his occupation. Plaintiff alleged that lie had been removed from the vessels Baden Powell and.iJgatoro by the instructions of the defendant union. The defence filed was that on October 13, 1919, at Wellington, the plaintiff wrongfully interfered with the assistant secretary of the union while that official was performing his duties, nnd that at a meeting of the executive on November 24 plaintiff was lawfully suspended; also that on December 13 ha .was expelled in accordance with the union's rules. Only one issue was submitted to the jury, viz., what damages the plaintiff was entitled to recover, assuming that he had been wrongfully suspended and expelled and prevented from following hie occupation. The jury fixed the amount at JJISO. All other questions were reserved for argument before tlie Full Court. A lengthy account of the evidence in the case was published at the time of hearing., > Mr. W. Perry (counsel for the plaintiff) yesterday moved for judgment. Mr. H. IT. O'Leary (counsel for the defendant union) opposed the motion. • The Court reserved its decision.