LIBEL ACTION

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 117, 13 November 1931, Page 9

LIBEL ACTION

CLAIM FOR mOO

SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, This Day

A claim for £3400 for alleged libel and slander was made in the Supremo Court to-day by Percival George Allsop, building contractor and architect, against William Goodfcllow, company manager. Tho plaintiff was employed from 1919 to 1924 as manage) of the building department of the New Zealand Co-op. Dairy Co. at Hamilton. He alleged that the defendant, as managing director, caused an entry to be made in tho company's books, falsely debiting £0000 to the building dopartn.ent, and that this entry was incorporated in tho balance-sheet to make it appear that tho building department carried on at a loss, whereas it realised a profit. The plaintiff was dismissed in February, 1924, and in 1925 an inquiry was held before Sir George Fowlds and Mr. J. K. Fow into certain allegations against the directors of tho company. The plaintiff was not represented at tho inquiry. He alleged that Goodfellow caused to bo published in "Tho Daiiy Farmer" iv July, 1925, a copy of tho report of the inquiry. This report, tho plaintiff said, was falsely and maliciously published, and made him appear as incompetent and negligent.

Incorporated in the statement of claim was a letter alleged to have been shown by the defendant to the staff, in which the defendant wrote: "I am not going to put up with your abusive language. It looks to me very much like blackmail. I have come to tho conclusion that you are not mentally normal, and the sooner you get a job and get to work the better for your health." And the plaintiff further alleged that defendant said to one E. C. Houchon tliafc the plaintiff had "made a mess of quite a lot of jobs," and had also tried to blackmail him.

Tho defence is a denial of the allegations, and, alternately, a plea of justification and privilege.