HOTEL CASE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 69, 18 September 1930, Page 14

HOTEL CASE

INVOLVED LITIGATION

CLAIMS AND COUNTEE-CHIM

I ■ Claiming that goods had been supplied, and that money was still owiug on. them, Hardwieke and Bobortson, Ltd., wine, spirit, and tobacco merchants, of Wellington, sought to recover £219 9s lid, with costs, from Clarence Mills, of Havelock, hotelkeeper, or William Percy Baker, Blenheim, hotelkeeper, in tho Supreme Court yesterday before Mr. Justice Ostler. There was also set down for hearing a claim made by William Percy Baker against Clarence Mills, to which MiUs counter-claimed against Baker.

The statement of claim in the action between Hardwieke and Kobertsou, Ltd., and Mills aud Baker set out that during a period from Ist December, 1925, to 7th October, 1929, when W.. P. Baker was in possession and managed the Commercial''Hotel, Havelock, the plaintiff supplied goods at the request of Baker, in respect of which £219 9s lid was owing. It was claimed that during that period Mills was the holder of tho publican's licence, and it was alleges that Baker, unknown to the plaintiff, did not hold a publican's licence authorising him to sell alcoholic liquor. Further, it was contended that Baker was the agent for his principal, Mills. The plain tiff

asked for judgment against Mills for £219 9s lid and costs, or, in the alternative, if it should bo found that Mills was not liable, the plaintiff asked for judgment against Baker for a similar amount.

Baker, in his statement of defence, denied that he was liable to the plaintiff company, for £219 9s lid or any other amount. He claimed that his connection with the Commercial Hotel was as. agent for Mills.

The case was not'concluded when the Court adjourned yesterday afternoon.