CLAIM FOR LIBEL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19969, 10 December 1926, Page 12

CLAIM FOR LIBEL.

NOTICE OF DISCONTINUANCE. REV. HOWARD ELLIOTT’S CASE. NEW ACTIONS FILED. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, December 9. Objecting to certain statements _ made in an open letter which appeared in the New Zealand Critic of November 9. the Rev Howard Elliott, Dominion secretary of the Protestant Political Association, filed a claim in the Magistrate’s Court to recover £2OO damages from the New Zealand Critic Newspaper Proprietary (Ltd I. printed and published bv George V. Slade (Ltd.), and edited by Maurice Goldsbrough. journalist, of Wellington. The statements objected to which concerned the plaintiff were: — a. your bin pocket, in which it is believed you- carry an automatic rc'°b. C No man is allowed to take the law’into his own hands, and no man is justified in carrying an automatic pistol on his person. It’s against the law’. c. We ask in turn, sir, what sectarian influence, if any, is brought to bear enabling you to carry a pistol, winch we refuse to believe. When the case was called in the Magistrate’s Court to-day Mr H D. Hoggard, who appeared for the defendants, said that his clients had made an application to have the matter dealt with in the Supreme Court so that the truth, or otherwise, of the allegations regarding the carrying of the revolver could be ascertained, and in order that the plaintiff might be interrogated by counsel. ihe plaintiff, however, had filed a notice of discontinuance. He, therefore, asked for substantial costs, r msulerable trouble having been gone to in preparing the defence. Mr R. H. Boys, for the plaintiff, opposed the application for substantial costs, but said that his client was prepared to nav a reasonable amount in view of the fact that he had had the action discontllMrdW. G. Riddell, S.M., allowed £3 3s °°Actions for £IOO damages have now been filed against the paper, its publisher, and its editor respectively.