ALLEGED WRONGFUL DISMISSAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume L, Issue 175, 2 November 1917, Page 5

ALLEGED WRONGFUL DISMISSAL.

AN APPEAL/ UPHELD (United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, This Day. The hearing of the appeal of William Alfred Rockland against his alleged wrongful dismissal from the Auckland Electric Tramways Company's service concluded yesterday. Mr Cut-ten, S M., presided. - Mr Charles Rhodes represented the employers ,and Mr P. 'Richardson the employee. Judgment was given that the grounds fqr the dismissal of appellant were utterly-untenable, and that 'Rockland acted in a perfectly proper manner in making a complaint about Davey to the police. The grounds for dismissal were that Rockland made a suggestion that Davey should be -interviewed to secure against him a convict-ion of sedition. A great deal had been made of the suggestion that in proposing that someone should interview Davey, Rockland had laid a trap for him. It was the only possible course tfiei' -police could take. To suggest that a' man was worthy of dismissal because he made a perfectly proper suggestion to the police was absurd. So little did the letter "of dismissal explain th6'grounds that Rockland was left with the idea, that there must have been sOmef 'sother cause, for dismissal, and the Magistrate was :inclined to take this vi&w. 'The ■Magistrate had not the slightest' hesitation in saying there were no grounds whatever for 'Rodkland's dismissal. There was nothing to show that Rockland had acted in other , than a proper manner,' afid for these reasons he'was of opinion that the appeal should be allowed. , 'Mr Richardson agreed that th&'appe&l should be upheld. Mr Rhodes said he was unable to agree with the majority; he was convinced appellant was actuated by feeling when he made suggestions to Detective Gourley. s He could not see any evidence that gave support to -Rodkland's statement regarding the disloyalty of Davey. He thought the general manager was justified in discharging 'Rockland from the service and that the appeal should be dismissed.