A JOURNALIST'S CLAIM

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 48, 26 February 1927, Page 19

A JOURNALIST'S CLAIM

ALLEGED BREACH OF CONTRACT .Reserved judgment in favour of the plaintiff was,given by Mr. E. Page b.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, in the case in which Charles Quentin Pope, journalist (Mr. A. Free) proceeded against the ''New Zealand Times" Co., Ltd. (Mr. D. R. Hoggard) for £53 15s, as the result of a breach of an alleged contract to employ him as relieving sub-editor : ana chief of staff for ten weeks. "The plaintiff says that an agreement was arrived at whereby the defendant company engaged him for a period of ten weeks, in the capacity of sub-editor and chief of staff," said the Magistrate. . . . "The. defence is a denial of an engagement for any express period. The defendants say that any arrangement come to was from day to day only; aiid, as a second defence, that if Mr. Warner (the chief of staff} made the agreement alleged by the plaintiff ho was acting beyond the scope of his authority. "On these' facts, I find in favour of the plaintiff. I think it is established ■ that at the interview above referred to i a definite agreement for employment , for the period mentioned was entered into./' •; . .. I

With regard to the question of the authority of Mr. Warner to bind the company, Mr. Page said that the evidence showed'that Warner, as chief of staff, although he would not make permanent appointments to the literary staff, had the duty of arranging for the supply of temporary assistance during the'absence of members of the staff on holiday. He did not doubt that Warner's action in making the ■arrangement was within the scope of his authority. The plaintiff commenced his work under this , arrangement on Bth January. On 22nd January the " Times V ceased publication, and the plaintiff's services': were, without notice, dispensed with. The plaintiff now claimed to recover damages from the defendants. He proposed to allow evidence to be'called on to determine the amount to wh:*hi the plaintiff was entitled. •-....-,.■'