ALLEGED WRONGFUL DEALING

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 112, 11 May 1917, Page 2

ALLEGED WRONGFUL DEALING

PECULIAR CIVIL ACTION.

A somewhat curious dispute arising out of a course of dealing between two manufacturing companies was heard before Mr. Vfr G. Riddel!, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, '■when the National Hat Mills, Ltd., sought to recover from H. G. Bedell, Ltd., the sum of £49 8s for goods supplied to an outfitter's business at Featherston " Military Camp, of which it was alleged defendant was nominally proprietor. It appeared from the evidence that a man who carried on business at the camp wad in financial difficulties, and in October last he sold hi< business to the defend*" ant company for the amount of his debt to. that company (£300), the terms stipulating that he was to remain; as manager of the business, which was to be transferred to him when the debt to the putchaser was repaid. The man purchased further stock from various Wellington merchants, and in January the plaintiffs declined to accept his orders. They subsequently did so, however, on the defendant company explaining that it was proprietor of the business, and that the man was merely manager. Defendant company refused to pay for goods ordered by the latter, because lie had been forbidden to order without reference to the defendants and because the goods had not been taken by him irittv stock. The Magistrate reserved his decision.

Mr. 0. 0. Mazengarb appeared for the plaintiff, and Mt. E. M. Beechey for the defendant.