DEATH OF A FARMER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 2 December 1927, Page 6

DEATH OF A FARMER.

ACTION AGAINST POWER BOARD

SETTLED

DAMAGES AMOUNTING TO £ISOO TO BE PAID.

At the New Plymouth Supreme Court yesterday, it was stated by Mr. L. M. Moss, who represented the plaintiff, that a settlement had been reached in the case of the Public Trustee (as administrator in the estate of John Wilson, of Ratapiko, farmer, deceased) against the Taranaki Electric Power Board, in which a claim was made for £2ooa damages for death resulting from injuries said to be due to the negligence of the defendants. The defendants were not represented, and counsel for plaintiff applied for an order in terms of the settlement reached.

The circumstances were that on March 15, 1927, Wilson met his death by being electrocuted through coming into contact with a wire fence, which was charged with electricity through a high power transmission line belonging to the defendants having broken and fallen down across the wire fence. The deceased had been engaged in farming a property on which he and his family lived, and which was owned jointly by him and his wife. It was submitted tliat tlie wife £ind children had, by the deceased’s death, been uepriced "of the benefit of his working and managing of the farm.

It was alleged that the fall of tlie high tension wire was the result of the board’s negligence in tlie construction and the controlling anc. maintenance of the transmission line, in that tlie system of erection dul not adequately provide against tlie breaking and falling of wires; a-nd that the board, although aware of the danger of electricity escaping from falling wires, failed to install and maintain efficient earth leakage relay’s or othei well-known safety appliances designed to remove the danger. It was also alleged that the board had failed tc comply with the statutory duties imposed by the Electric Power Boards Act and" the Public Works Amendment Act and the Regulations made thereunder.

The amount claimed was £2OOO, and a settlement was reached for the payment of a sum of £ISOO, to be appore tioned in the terms suggested by the Public Trustee, between the widow, two daughters, and one grandson ol the deceased. The order asked for in terms of the settlement was made, with costs. The terms of settlement were as follow: £I4OO for damages and £IOO for costs and disbursements. Ihe £I4OO is to be apportioned as follows : To the widow of deceased, £900; to each of the two daughters, £150; to the grandson, £2OO. The latter amount is to be paid to the Public Trustee', as the boy is a minor.— “Taranaki Herald.”