£1000 DAMAGES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 148, 24 June 1914, Page 2

£1000 DAMAGES

COST OF THE WORD "SCAB" MAORILAND WORKER PUNISHED. A telegram from the North last week stated incorrectly that a jury had awarded £luo damages to Stewart Dixon (a Huntiy miner) against the Maoriland Worker. The verdict was for the full amount claimed, £1000. The conclusion of the case is thus reported in the Maoriland Worker; — The Registrar: Gentlemen of the jury, have you agreed upon your verdict? The Foreman : Yes, sir. The Registrar: How say you, gentlemen? • Do you mid for the plaintiff or for the defendant? Tne Foreman: For the defendant. Several jurors (in a whisper) : The plaintiff! The plaintiff! Hie Foreman: The plaintiff, sir. The Registrar: What amount of damages do you award the plaintiff? Hie Foreman (again in a whisper) : £1000. * ' Several jurymen then repeated the amount loud enough for counsel to hear it. His Honour Mr. Justice Edwards then entered up judgment for the amount, with costs on the highest scale, and fee for second counsel. The Worker was charged that it had falsely and maliciously published the following words concerning the plaintiff : — "Dixon, the scab organiser, who is still in the employ of the Taupiri Company, was sent to Auckland to try iuill get scabs for tho mines. After spending, three days, there, he return•ed with one scab, but he, after being here for a. couple of days, left the town without going to work. Dixon then made another journey to Auckland, but again failed ih his endeavours, returning this time alone. The company, in the meantime, had a notice in the newpapers, also in various shop windows, asking men to apply for work, so that the mines could 'be started on the 4th. They stated that ■no fresh men need apply. They did not like to teH the public what we already knew : lhat they, along with a very willing tool in the guise of a. man (meaning plaintiff) had tried to get scabs to take our work, but this move had been an absolute failure."