£1000 DAMAGES

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 June 1914, Page 8

£IOOO DAMAGES

COST OF THE WORD "SCAB." MA'OftILAND WORKER PUNISHED. A telegram from the Ncrth last week stated incorrectly that it jury had awarded £IOO damages tj Stewart Dixon (a lluntly miner) against the Maoril.tnd Worker. The verdict was for the full amount claimed, £I,OOO. The conclusion of the case is thus reported in the Maoriland Worker: The Registrar: Gentlemen, of the jury, have vou agreed upon your verdici? The Foreman : Yes, sir. The Registrar : How say you, gentlemen ? Do you find for the plaintiff ov for the defendant ? The Foreman : For the defendant Several jurors (in a whisper): The plaintiff! The plaintiff! The Foreman : The plaintiff, sir. The Registrar : What amount of damages do you award the plaintiff? The Foreman (again in a whisper): £I.OOO. , , Several jurymen then repeated the amount loud "enough for counsel to hear it. His Honor Mr. Justice Edwards then entered up judgment for the amount, with costs on the highest scale, and fee for second counsel. The Worker was charged that it had falsely and maliciously published the following words concerning the plain ; tiff:— ' ,'<.'•' "Dixon, the scab organiser, who is still in the employ of the Taupiri Company, was sent to Auckland to try and get scabs for the mines. After spending three days there, he returned with one scab, but lie, after being here for a couple of days, left the town without going to work. Dixon then made another journey to Auckland, but again failed in his endeavours, returning this time alone. The company, in the meantime, r had a notice in the newspapers, also" in various shop windows, asking men to apply for work, bo thai the mines could be started on the 4th. They .stated that no fresh men need apply; They did not like to tell the public what we already.knew : that -they, along ;with a very willing tool in the guise of a man (meaning , plaintiff) had tried to get scabs to. take j our work, but this move bad been an i .absolute failure." * . . - ' • - r ' ■ ■-, .-,■/■. . ' : - ; '