ORGANISER AND COUNCIL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9554, 4 July 1911, Page 5

ORGANISER AND COUNCIL.

A CLAIM FOR. SALARY. A case affecting the relations of a. society and its organiser was heard at tho Magistrate's Court to-day, before Mr A. D. Thomson, S.M. William Ritchie, of Palmcrston North, agent, claimed from G. A. 'Rockel (Carnavon), J. K. Hornblow (Foxton), and/John Mathespn (Kairanga)—president'' committeeman, and treasurer, respectively, 1 of tho Manawatu No-license Council—tho sum. of £73 lis, balance of 6alary alleged to be due to plaintiff as organiser, between Apsin let and August 31st, 1910. Mr Inncs appeared for plaintiff, and Mr A. R. Atkinson, of .Wellington, for defendants.

Mr Innes said that tho Council was an unregistered society. On August 24th, 1910, Mr Ritchie was dismissed without notice, and, it was contended, .without justification and illegally. On September jiritl following, he gave notice to the Council that ho desired to resign, and suggested that his resignation should take effect as from August 31st, This _ was apparently agreed to. Tho salary claimed was £8613s 4d, less £l3 2s 4d collected on account of tho "Dreadnought" publication. The plaintiff, in evidence, stated that at a meeting of the Council, on August 24th, a motion was carried dispensing with his services. On the 27th he wrote to Mr Rockel, stating that his (Mr Ritchie's) dismissal was not in accorda-nce with tho terms of his appointment, and .claiming four weeks' salary. Tho contract provided for a month's notice, and plaintiff did not take it that the contract terminated on August 24th. The sum of £l3 2s 4d credited against tho claim, represented money received on account of the No-license publication, the Dreadnought, of which he had charge, Plaintiff had' transferred the contract for the printing of the Dreadnought from foxton to Feilding. But for tho heat thus caused, ho thought the tone of the meeting in question would have been different. Tho motion dispensing with his services wa6 moved by Mr Hornblow and seconded by Mr Whibley. Plaintiff delivered to tho society all its documents in his possession. Mr Rockel, he understood, was now secretary of the body, which had been re-formed after tho split in regard to the advisability or otherwise of employing an organiser. To Mr Atkinson: From February to July Ist ho acted as secretary without pay. Plaintiff did not tako an active- part in the promotion of the post of organiser. Ho had submitted a report to the Council on the result of his canvass for election fund; this report did not mention the appointment of an organiser. Council road a statement (undated) addressed bv plaintiff to tho Council, in which ho "stated that he would guarantee to raieo tho funds to pay an organiser with. Plaintiff said this was not an official document submitted by him to tho Council; it may have been a draft. That paper referred tc the appointment pf a joint organiser for tho electorates of Manawatu, OrOua, and Palmcrston; if that fell through ho would strongly support the appointment of an organiser for Manawatu. This document was not his final report. In a lotter addressed to Mr Rockel on April 6th, 1909, plaintiff offered to take all tho .kicks if ho were given full control of tho finances. Plaintiff was providing for the collection of suras of which he had tho promises. The collecting was not regarded as an essential part of tho organiser's work, but ho undertook it when specially requested to do so. Plaintiff did not recollect telling the Rev .Mr Aitkcn that there was no responsibility on the members in wspoct to his salary, except in so far as they had made promises. After plaintiff's re-appointment, in Juno. 1909, it was nart of his duty to collect subscriptions. What money plaintiff collected went towards his salary. After tho luncheon adjournment a conference between tho parties was lield, and on leeumintr Mr Innee announced that the case had been settled out of Court,