RACECOURSE CLOAKROOM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3611, 29 May 1923, Page 53

RACECOURSE CLOAKROOM.

TROTTING CLUB HKLD RESPONSIBLE. In giving his decision in the Magistrate’s Court last week in a case in which Cyril Plato claimed from Luke Clyde Ilazlett, Thomas Elliott, and Burrows Stokes Irwin, trustees of the Forbuiy Car!; Trotting Club, on behalf of themselves, the stewards, and the members of the club, the sum of £8 4s for the loss of an overcoat which he had placed in their care, Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., said that it was a question of whether the bailment was complete at the end of the first day of the race meeting, the coat having been left in the club's cloakroom that day. or whether it extended over the whole meeting. He ruled that, the latter was the case, and, as the coat was about two years old, awarded £4 damages, with costs amounting to £2 6y The Magistrate said that the plaintiff had not stated his claim in a very careful or explicit manner, as it should have been for Uie return of the overcoat. The whole question was: What was the contract? Was the bailment complete at the end of the first day? If that was so, the responsibility of an involuntary bailee was very much less. As no conditions had been made* be would rule that the contract covered the two days of the meeting. Had the coat been left on the second day, the contract would, of course, have been for only one day. There was no need to go into the question of whether it was safer to take the coats to the secretary’s office. As the coat was about two rears’ old he would allow £4 damages, w ith cos's amounting to £2 6s.