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New Zealand Mail, Issue 1648, 30 September 1903, Page 21

On Friday Mr Justice Cooper lieapd an application for interpretation of the will of Philip Dolbell, late of Hawke’s Bay district. Testator .and his brother Richard carried on a sheep-farming business at Springfield and Kaiwhaka, the first-named property being freehold and the latter leasehold. Deceased and his brother Richard were in business in partnership, which they entered into on equal terms. Testator bequeathed his interest in the Springfield property to Richard and Richard’s children and authorised the trustees, at their discretion, to carry on the partnership for a period not exceeding seven years upon the terms that the net profits of the partnership business should be applied towards the reduction of a debt due to the Bank of New South Wales. Testator gave the Kaiwhaka. lease to Richard and his * other brother, Charles, in equal shares. The question the Court was now asked to decide was whether the partnership business was to be carried on for seven years to pay the partnership debts and the partnership assets divided in their then state at the end of that time, or whether an account should be kept showing the creditor's th© condition of the property with the profits accruing to it during the time the partnership was carried on. Mr Skerrett appeared on behalf of Richard Dolbell, and Mr Bell, with Mr Humphries, of Napier, for the other trustees. Judgment was reserved.