AN INVENTION?

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 139, 16 June 1927, Page 17

AN INVENTION?

COLOURED FILMS

ACTION ■ FOR ACCOUNTS

The action for accounts in the coloured film case was continued before his Honour, the Chief Justico- (Sir Charles Skerrett) in the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon. Mr. \V. Perry appealed for the plaintiffs and Mr. O. C. Mazengarb for the defendants.

Frank Broomficld, an interest-holder in the venture, continued his. evidence, lie said he ariived' back in New "Zealand in April, 1926, and with- Kcid 'met the trustees at a meeting. A few days later the. trustees instructed a Wellington firm of solicitors to act for them. After consulting the. solicitors, the trustees informed-, this polico,- and'•- detectives, met .ithe/.trusteesjaiTflie. "solicitors' office. On;4th:Mayt7iß2!3,"_.witness and three .pthcrs . visitedl-•thercoii-cern's offices in .Manners .street' ■■■• and met Sproule 'anff-KcidT'- 1..' .-■. The: "three trustees and witness : decided-to take possession of .the:pffice"safe and papers. Sproule :objected r ; and werit M call a policeman. He; wouldV>pt: hand over the keys, so the safe \vai' riaken away bodily. .;■' Meetings , of- ■ inteVest-holders were held between' June aM:August. In October, 1926,' Beid: cdminienced an action, aUegirig that-the'trustees owed Mm salary and' £500. „ In February last the: action was;:settled, and witness learnt that Beid "had ? l)een paid £175. Witness later saw- Sutherland, one of the defendants, and ..said he would fight him. The-trustees paid £175, the injunction proceedings; having failed. When in England, the witness said he made .'full: inquiries from experts regarding Beid 'a process. Ho remained in England long; enough to give Beid every opportunity of developing his process to the utmost.

'■■-. Counsel.,'put tim a report from the Government:Ciriematograplier on Reid's process/ the .concluding sentence of which was: ''Any man' who can have claimed -to have overcome these diffi■culties must be a super-man, a fodij or a rogue."' "

To Mr. Mazengarb: When he; took ■ up shares he- thought Reid had wade" a huge discovery. When he went to England he took instructioiis;no"t.''to^ sell the interest for less than a million^ pounds. ',-.-, - ..-.- ~

The witness was cross-examined by Mr. .Mazengarb on sentences- contained in.his report to the .trustees, and in which he stated that Reid's repentance was sincere, and that he was an honourable man at hear,t. :.

Counsel: "Do you blame .the"trustees for accepting your judgment that Reid was an honest man'?"—'' They had to use their own judg. tent, too*." ;

Another extract from a'report of the witness in England.to the trustees stat-. oil: "The man (Reid) is essentially [honourable in spite of the.fact .that he lias made some serious slips in the pasttwelve moHths.". Counsel was going further .into : re; ports when his Honour remarked that he r _ardcd: some of...the, sentences in the reports as "squashy.'? Mr. Mazengarb: "I want to.refer to some other parts.?' . His Honour: "I am'not stopping you. I am enjoying.it now,.", ; 1 The witness said he did jiotknow. that Mothes had put £.100 into the vonture. He said ho knew that Eeid thought that he (witness) had closed down on the venture when it was on the point of being a success.' On his return, three of the trustees took his view as against Beid's. 'At this stage the^Cour.fracljownod-.till to-day. ■•—.-. .--.'• *.-.■,..:»