MILKING-MACHINE DISPUTE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16697, 15 November 1917, Page 6

MILKING-MACHINE DISPUTE.

SUPREME COURT ACTION. An action was begun in the Supremo Court yesterday, before Mr. Justice Cooper and a jury of fpur, in regard to the installttion !of a milking machine. The Gane Milking • Machine Company (Mr. J. Stanton) sued A. _ Bregman, farmer, of Otaua, near Waiuku (Mr. A. E. Skelton), claiming 1 £200, the price of a milking machine I placed on bis premises. Defendant counter-claimed for £300 damages, and - , also payment for storage. i It was alleged by plaintiffs that in June, 1 1916, the defendant contracted to purchase - from them a Gane two-cow milking ,j machine and a 3ih.p. "R.J.L." oil engine. I As this type of engine was not procurable, I the defendant, it was alleged, agreed to : accept a Crossley engine, which was duly { installed. After it had started work de- • fendant complained that it was not working satisfactorily, and plaintiffs more thanonce sent out their employees, who reported that the trouDio was not due to any defect in the plant, but to the way | in which it was being operated. In No- j vember the defendant gave the company notice to remove the plant, and subsequent negotiations failed to alter that attitude. Defendant claimed that the plaintiffs had not carried out their contract, in that they had not supplied the engine specified, but another, which was unsuitable for the work, and that the plant had not been properly erected. The overhead shafting was said to be short, and bends were stated to exist in the releaser-pipe and the air-pipe. The counter-claim for damages was based upon the fact that defendant had to resort to hand-milking when he had been depending on the use of the machine, and also upon the general inconvenience so suffered. Plaintiffs having failed to remove the plant on notice being given, defendant * claimed storage upon it at the rate of 5s per week. The case was adjourned until to-day.