ACTION FOR DAMAGES

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 131, 27 February 1929, Page 13

ACTION FOR DAMAGES

CLAIM AGAINST NEWSPAPERS

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Invercargill, February 26.

The hearing of the case brought against the “Southland News” Company and the “Southland Times” Company by the Southland Farmers’ Cash Supply Service, was continued this morning in the Supreme Court, before His Honour Mr. Justice MacGregor. In this case, in which for the sake of convenience the action was consolidated, plaintiffs claimed a total of £3OOO, being £5OO for special damages for loss of customers, and £lOOO for general damages for libellous publication from each newspaper company.

Further evidence was given by farmers in support of the defence’s plea of justification, after which Mr. Longuet (for plaintiffs) said that to prove justification defendants had to show that plaintiffs had swindled. That would be difficult to do. They would have to show that the firm had set out to defraud from the beginning of its operations. Swindle implied cheating and deceit, and it certainly was a defamatory and actionable word. Mr. Longuet then called 10 witnesses. 14 of whom were farmers, who expressed satisfaction with the service they had received from the plaintiffs. Hearing was adjourned till to-mor-row, when the evidence of the principals of the firm will be heard.