DATES OF HEARING. LAWYERS AND THEIR CASES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 40, 17 February 1911, Page 3

DATES OF HEARING. LAWYERS AND THEIR CASES.

[BT TKJ,EaEAPH-r-SfrEClAr. TO THK POST.] CHRISTCHUR,CH, This Day. A difficulty which occurs from session to session of the Supreme Court in Cbristchurch is vn connection with the fixing of dates for the hearing of civil actions. His Honour Mr. Justice" Dennisf,on has laid down and frequently affirmed a principle that all actions should be ready for trial art the opening of the &assiofls for which they had been set down for hearing. Beyond setting the cases in order of hearing, his Honour has repeatedly declined to specify dates for the hearing of any particular action, and this practice is confined to the Supreme Court of the Christchurch district. The subject was discussed once more at the sitting of the Supreme Court yesterday when Mr. T. G. Eussell asked his Honour to fix a date for an action^ explaining that the convenience of counsel would be served by delaying the case, a3 some of those retained in ths matter had other engagements. His Honour replied that counsel should have no engagements that would take precedence of the Supreme Court. Mr. Russell remarked that in many instances counsel could not avoid making engagements, and that occasionally his Honour should make some concession. Hie Honour said that the theory of

the sitting was that cases should do tried unfei} the list was exhausted. Counsel should not enter actions for hearing until they were prepared to proceed at any time during the sitting. His Honour acceded to the latest request, but explained that the granting of the application was opposed to tho principle he had mentioned. j MAORIS IN POLITICS. ACTIVITY IX THE NORTH. [BX TELEGEArH — SPECIAL TO THE TOST.} j AUCKLAND, This Day. The hand of the political agent is discernible amidst the unprecedented interest simmering amongst the nativee in the northern Maori electorates. The electorate extends from Tainaki .to the North Cape, and eight candidates are alucady in the field, whilst other names are also mentioned. Several of the candidates are well educated, speak English fluently, and are avowed Oppositionists, and this is agitating the whole electorate. The advent of the Maori into full political privileges is in the north a- burning question, and it would be extremely difficult to find a solitary native antagonistic to the insistence of Mr. Mas-sey and other members that Maori representation should be abolished, and that with some minor restrictions both races should enjoy equal political prestige. Intelligent, natives clearly recognise that were they merged into pakeha electorates their votes would probably dominate certain polls, that the pakeha Parliamentary representatives would not minimise the value of their demands, and that if such a position obtained there is no reason why educated '. chieftains should not represent a pakeha constituency equally as satisfactorily as does the Native Minister. BSESS ASSOCIATION. j DISPUTE IN TAILORING TRADE. NELSON, 16th February. A sitting of the Conciliation Court j has commenced here to consider the ! claims of the Nelson Tailoring Trades IJnion. Mr. Hally, Commissioner, presided. Mr. D. Morrison (Wellington) and Mr. T. Harford (Nelson) acted a& assessors for the employers, and the assessors for the employees were Mr. P. A. Muir (secretary of the Wellington Tailofr b and l'ailoresses' Union) and Mr. F. Wainscott (secretary of the Tailors and Tailoresses' Union). Between forty and fifty employers in the city, Waimea, Motueka, Takaka, and Collingwood have been cited by the union. The union asks for a 48 hours' week, with a minimum weekly, wage of £3 to male tailors and pressers, other than pieceworkers, and £1 15s for females, overtime pay, and preference to unionists. The union demands that no female be taught coatmaking and no female coat-maker be employed. IRRIGATION AND RAILWAY EXTENSION .DUNEDIN, 16th February. | tSpeaking at Cromwell, in reply to requests for extension of the Otago Central railways and irrigation, tho Hon. J. I ji. Millar said as far as the possibilities of what could be done by effective irrigation wore concerned, his present trip had been almost a revelation. He wished northern members would visit the district and see for themselves the wonderful fertility of the soil when water was brought in. By establishing first an effective irrigation system there would be a better case for railway extension. In the Minister's opinion, whatever was done should be of a comprehensive character. Of course, those settlers whose land was benefited, and who used the water, would ha-ve to contribute towards the cost of conserving the water. CHRiSTCHURCH LIBEL ACTION. CHRISTCHURCH, 16th February. .The hearing concluded at the Supreme Court to-day of an action in which Alexander Storrie Duncan, chairman of directors of the firm of Cooper and Duncan, Ltd., claimed from Frank Cooper, until recently general manager of the company. £1000 damages for alleged libel. Plaintiff claimed that the alleged libellous statements were published in a letter issued to the shareholders of the company by the defendant, who summarised his accusation in the statement that he charged the plaintiff "with having subordinated the interests of the company to his own private concerns, and of having made use of his position as chairman of directors to further lub own business at the expense of the company." After three and a quarter hours' retirement the jury returned a verdict for j plaintiff, and assessed th© amount of damages at £50. Costs were allowed on the -lowest scale, wiih witnesses' expenses and disbursements, £7 7s, for the second day. His Honour gave leave, if necessary, to defendant to move for judgment on the ground that plaintiff should be non-suited, or judgment given for defendant. DEER STALKING SEASON. CHRISTCHURCH, 16th February. The Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) was waited on this morning on behalf of the deer stalkers who go to the North Otago districts, and it was pointed out to him that no date had been fixed yet for the opening of the season owing to the differences of opinion between the stalkers and the two Acclimatisation Societies interested. On tho position being explained to Sir Joseph, he stated that he would send a telegram to the Minister for Internal Affairs, asking him to fix Ist April, the usual date, for the opening of the season. SUICIDE IN A HUT, OAMARU, 16th February. The body of a man named Luke O'Brien was found hanging to a rafter in a- hut at Papakaio to-day. The suicide must have taken place two or three days ago. V/ANGANUI RIVER. WANGANUI, 16th February. Owing to the exceptionally dry season the water in the river was lower to-day than at any time since the inception of the River Trust. When the river steamer service was established a zero mark was fixed at Pipiriki as denoting the lowest depth at which it was reasonable to expect a steamer to reach Pipiriki. To-day the water is forty-two inches below that zero mark, yet, owing to the improvements made in the river, steamers are going to Tauinarunui, a j total of 144 miles. i TARANAKI PETROLEUM. NEW PLYMOUTH, 16th February. The Taranaki Petroleum Company tonight received several applications, including two direct from England arid one direct from Germany, for samples of crude petroleum for testing purposes. Operations of the bores at Moturoa are still very satisfactory. FREEZING WORKS CLOSING. OAnIARU, 16th February. Owing to the scarcity of fat stock in the district, due to the drought, the freezing works are closing down on Tuesday nsxt for the remainder of the season.