MILK AND BETS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 17 April 1901, Page 44

MILK AND BETS.

In the King's Bench Division on February 23 an actisn, Hoddinott v. Hanson, was brought in which a farmer, in Somerset, sought to recover £275 odd for milk sold to the defendant at various times during the last two years. Mr Montague Lush appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr Tindal Atkinson for the defendant. Mr Lush said the defendant was a dairyman who bought milk, and also carried on a business as a bookmaker. His case was that in August of last year plaintiff and defendant settled accounts, when it was arranged that defendant should set off as against the milk a corresponding sum for bets which plaintiff had lost to the defendant. That was defendant's whole case; but plaintiff denied making the arrangement, and did not know how much he owed for bets at the time. Even if there was such an agreement, he (Mr Lush) contended it was immaterial, because, bets not being enforceable, and the contracts in respect of them void under the Gaming Act, there could be no settled account, inasmuch as there was no debt to support the alleged settlement. The plaintiff was called, and stated that he never kept any account of the bete. Ii an interview between plaintiff and defendant, the latter produced plaintiff's telegrams for beta, and paid he could not pay plaintiff anything for milk, as plaintiff owed him more than the account for bets lo3t. In cross-examination, witness admitted having received laige sxims of money from defendant for bets he had won. Mr Hanson, the defendant, was then called, and said he carried on business in Great Queen street, London, and he had paid the plaintiff large sums both for milk and bets lost. Plaintiff owed him more than £200 now for bets lost. The arrangement was that tho bets should always b settled with the milk account. Mr Tindal Atkinson submitted that it was a legal arrangement, and that the plaintiff waa not entitled to recover. Mr Justice Lawrence said he had no sympathy with one side or the other, and was sorry to find in such a harmless business there should lurk these dreadful betting transactions. He had no dcubt the plaintiff's case was the right one, and he must give judgment accordingly for the amount claimed, with costs. The moral was, do not bet with your milkman. — (Laughter.)