COINCIDENCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 October 1931, Page 2

COINCIDENCE

MEMORIES IN COURT-Twenty-one years ago, when Mr JW. Hannan set his foot on the arduous path leading to legal eminence, he could not foresee that, two decades into the future, he would be quoting the first case in which he appeared, as one of the authorities on which he relied for the success of his client in a similar case. He did that yesterday, at the Greymouth Magistrate’s Court, when he looked back over the twenty-cne-year trail, to the old Magistrate s Court at Ahaura. In the interim, the young exponent of the law has become, perhaps, the best-known barrister and solicitor on the West Coast. In September, 1910, at Ahaura, before Mr A. Crooke, S.M., George and Mary Cogar proceeded against Mary Ellen Harton, claiming £9O/10/4 for alleged ’wrongful dismissal. Mr F. AKitchingham represented plaintiffs, and Mr Hannan appeared for defendant. In October, 1930, at Greymouth, before Mr W- Meldrum, S-M., Thomas and Margaret Morland proceeded against John A. Hart, claiming £l5O. Mr T. F. Brosnan represented plaintiffs, and Mr Hannan appeared for defendant. The two cases were of a similar nature, being claims by married couples employed on farms, and the similarity was further marked by the fact that both the couples were engaged in Christchurch and brought to the West Coast.

In the course of legal argument on a non-suit point raised by Mr Hannan, he quoted yesterday the case in which he commenced his career at Ahaura, twenty-one years ago. “That is a long time ago,” he remarked, smilingly. Mr Brosnan: Why was not the Statute of Frauds quoted in that case? Mr Hannan (still smiling): Probably, I did not know as much then as I do now!