THE LAW SOCIETY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10116, 25 October 1917, Page 5

THE LAW SOCIETY.

TAKES ACTION AGAINST A MASTERTON SOLICITOR, (Pbe Peess Association.) WELLINGTON. Oct. 25. The Appeal Court to-day is hearing an application to strike off the rolls William Gasco,V"ii Beard, solicitor, of Masterton, on 1 h<' ground of alleged professional misconduct in connection with dealings with Rangi ivcrchoma, a Maori. Mr Von Jluast is appearing for the Law Society and Mr Gray, K.C., and Mr M. Myers for Beard. The grounds of the application are that Beard, being Kerchoma’s solicitor, and knowing him to have large transactions with William Boyce Chemielln, who was formerly representative of the Public Trustee at .Masterton, advised and procured Kerchoma. to give a power of attorney to ('henpels. and he declared a European, thus bringing Kerchoma under the influence of . Ghenneils; that by undue influence in the j breach of lis dirty and in fraud of Kerohoma's rigid?., he procured the transfers j and sales of lands known as Mangahuia ■ Whiroa and Tablelands in most cases to members of Beard’s and Ghennells’s families,; that such sales were at. a. gross undervalue. as evidenced by the fact that Board and Ghcnnolls settled a subsequent action brought by Kerchoma against them by agreeing to pay £13,498 damages and costs"£6oo, and by relinquishing the claim to Tablelands; that in"conjunction with Gheunells, he procured the acceptance by Kerehcnna of less than £IOOO out.of a total of £JBOOO purchase money and the acceptance of mortgages for the balance, such mortgages in several instances being for a larger amount than the purchase money payable by the mortgagors; that Edgar 1 [MIcR, of Napier, who was put forward as Kerchoma’s solicitor, was really acting for Board and Ghenneils, and Ha'lett was not instructed until arrangements had already been entered into; that, although Hoard know the lessees of KerehomaV lands wanted to renew their leases or purchase the land, he subordinated Kcrehoma’s interests to those of himself and ChemieUs.