LABOUR LIBEL ACTION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 593, 13 August 1913, Page 5

LABOUR LIBEL ACTION.

VERDICT FOR PLAINTIFF. £.">oo DAMAGES AWARDED. [hy ti-:lk:h\vu. —rr.i a.-miciation.] Auckland, This I>ay. Tlip. pamphletenlilh.ri "The Trnj;i<Story cf ilip Waibi Strike"' is iii." subject of a claim for £IOOO dnniaeos imJibel by Thomas Wnl-h, 'ln- lunendant being the Now Zen in mi i - ' k>;i <■( Labour, The word? .•omplaim'd nf m included in the following: i • > H i 0 be emphasised lor iiir cnm : <<l»t ion ol every turnin/r down proi.'ssor and labour parasite in dial so-calleo Engine drivers/ Un;"n for which they fought and volunlcorof lor prnliliery before the rc-opcnim: of iho ininea. There is no plainer ira Sanco of scabbcry in all its rot (on chronicler. In the rank? o!' (ho Labour party were

two notorious si rike-break me advocates aoai organiser?- W. .1. Flack and T. Wal?h. There I v;o Flood convicted

and iheir colleagues stood craven." Plaintiff is further described as an orsanisor of scabs and a person who glorified the police and befouled the strikers.

It. is alleged in consequence of these words plainiill waa greatly injured in credit: and reputation. The defence denied the words were published falsely nnd maliciously or that, ibey were capable of any defamatory meaning. They wore made by way of fair comment. The jury returned a verdict for £-">00.