LIBEL ACTION

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 June 1924, Page 5

LIBEL ACTION

CLAIM FROM HANNAH AND CO. (by TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, June 26. A libel' case commenced at the Supreme Court to-day in which Hart and Penlington, Ltd. (Wellington), merchants, claimed £SOOO damages iiom It. Hannah and Co-. (Wellington), boot and shoe manufacturers A special jury was empanelled. The action arose from an advertisement in the Evening Post on February 14. 1924, and in provincial papers" about the same time, and from sale displays exhibited on defendant’s shop windows. It was admitted that on January 12 last plaintiffs agreed to> sell to defendants a stock of boots and shoes, then m plaintiffs’ warehouse, at landed cost, less 20 per cent., except in the case of samples, on which 25 per cent, was to be allowed. Then, plaintiffs alleged, appeared the advertisement announcing a sweeping clearance, and stating that Hannah and Co. had bought from plaintiffs at half price for casli £IO,OOO worth of boots and shoes. Notices to the same effect were, it is r>r - e Ai- 011 the shop windows. 1 lain tiffs claim that the advertisements and notices meant, and- were understood to mean, .that plaintiffs were insolvent, or m a financial difficulty and had been compelled to dispo.se of'boots and shoes at considerably less than their value, or, alternatively that plaintiff had teased to carry on busis£es Seneia y ’ ° r at leaSt in boots anci Defendants denied that the notices were capable of the meanings allegedT« • rtL a . n N meaning! Plaintiffs cLaimed that the notices were d +u' nd mahc : lons - ■ a nd defendants said they were in the usual course of businessm the honest belief of their D ui'h end without malice £3q?9 n f- Pontiffs said that only £3319 Los 2d had been paid for the s f. fading samples, which were a negligible quantity. Evidence is being taken.