A PALTRY DISPUTE.

NZ Truth, Issue 198, 3 April 1909, Page 4

A PALTRY DISPUTE.

THE MEANNESS OF THE SQUATTER. Mr Dudley Hill, of Fernhill. Goes to Court Over Five Bob. A rather unique case came up , before S.M. McCarthy at Hastings .recently. Dudley Hill, a sheep-farmer of Hawke's Bay, the Squatters' Paradise, had the hide to go into Court to defend a case m which he was sued by an employee for ss. The following report is from the Napier "Daily Telegraph" :— David C. Thorley, engineer, sued Dudley Hill, of Femhill, for ss, balance of an account of 12s 6d, alleged to be due : for expert repairs to defendant's engine. • Mr Hallett appeared for plaintiff and defendant pleaded his own case. It appeared that defendant rang up plaintiff and asked that an engineer be sent out to fix up an engine. An expert was sent out on a bicycle to defendant's place, which was 5J miles distant, and, during his absence, a lathe was standing idle. After doing the work he had to ride back again, and a charge of 12s 6d was made. Defendant admitted that the work had been done, but stated that the work involved only the adjustment of a spring, which would only take live minutes, and the man had left the house within a quarter of an hour after' entering it, so he . (defendant) considered the charge exorbitant. Ho paid 7s 6d, leaving the balance m dispute. After hearing evidence his .Worship held that the charge made was reasonable and* gave judgment for ss> with costs 12s. When one Dayid Thorley sued Dudley Hill, of Fernhill, for the sum of ss, the balance, of an account of 12s 6d for cer.tain repairs^ to an engine, he must have .had m mind the old yarn of the man who have been dismissed from engineering firm for whom he had been em- ' ployed for many years, was one day sent for to repair one of the ' engines; a. task which had proved beyond the power of any. employees of the firm. He ac-7 cordih'gly proceeded to the scene of trouble and having TAKEN A CURSORY GLANCE at the machine, gave it a couple of taps with the hammer, which set it m . mo^ tion at once. Later he rendered his account'for £2 Is 6d, which, when it came before the directors, caused them some surprise, so much so that they asked for, details. These the mechanic supplied as follows :— ■-■'.-• To repairs to engine, Is 6d. ..To, knowing how, £2. The firm paid.' ,Jh this case, "Deadly' 1 Hill telephoned to plaintiff for an engineer to be sent out, a distance of 5£ miles, to fix up an engine. An expert mechanic was accordingly , : sent, out and Satisfactorily . completed the job. A. bill Was sent m for 12s 6d. . Defendant Hill considered this* charge exorbitant, and paid 7s Gd, contending that, the .work having taken only a quarter of an hour, and- involving .only the , adjustment of a spring, this' sum was. sufficient. His Worship McCarthy, however, was of a different opinion and gave judgment for plaintiff. So much for the case. Now, for 'the man (did we say man ?) Hill. A sheep farmer, a wealthy man, and there you' have ."Hone. Unless, of course, you, like to enquire into similar cases of miserable , meanness on the part of '* THE HUMAN SHARK. There, was an occasion .some short time ago when a certain person., {Whilst: play-, ing m a polo match on the Stratford Lodge ground met with a serious accident, and Was conveyed ,to the Stratford Lodge Hotel, where he was attended to by the proprietors wife '(a most; skilful nurse), given a change of clothing, malde comfortable m a carriage with pillows and rugs and conveyed to his home. Some weeks after, as a. : . token of his gratitute and a mark of his : appieciation for these kindly attentions, a parcel of dirty clothes, rugs, and pillows was thrown from a passing trap on to the verandah of the Stratford Lodge Hotel, but the parcel did not contain, any letter of thainks, nor did . the lady m question receive any sort of acknowledgement. On . another occasion, the Sisters of St. Joseph, Hastings, called upon a. wealthy squatter -for a subscription for the fund being raised for the building of their home.' The response they met with was represented by a two-shilling piece, which was returned the following day by the Mother Superior. /The same individual recently started additions to his house, and on. a carpenter- applying for . work thereon he offered him the munificent sum of 20s a. week and found. Now, who could this philanthropist have been? This paper knoweth not, but he was a "squattah" person, and a man that the "upper suckles" of Hawke's Bay call one of their own. When miserable pests, of this class own about one-fifth of the land of New Zealand it is 'no wonder that the ! immigrants Sir Joe is can't find graft and. that the N.z; worker roars like a tiger when the said Joe offers a battleship to Bull for the glorification of himself and a few "squattah" pals. If the Government wanted to do something really useful, it would declare an open season, for "squattahs" for, say, one week. Within this paper's ken there are enough, healthy sports to rid the country of the pests m that time. ,