VALUATION OF STOCK.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13394, 30 May 1914, Page 4

VALUATION OF STOCK.

A DISPUTED OLATM

The hearing was continued by ih' W. A. Barton, S.M., yesterday, of tin.' case in which Thomas Trnmper (Mr l)a>.vson) claimed from Andrew Hood (^Ntr K. H. Mann) the sum of £171 19s -6d y being the alleged difference between, the valuation mada : byuAlr » A. . &.*, Parker ,_on August 26, 1913, arranged between the parties, and,;£2Q7, which; represented the va.iuatiori ; of; certain 'chattels, and stock on September 5, 1912. -

Continuing under cross-oxami nation, plaintiff .said they, drew up an agreement on May 26, ■ which . would prevent his creditors from, interfering in. the place. He bought, eight breeding sows, which cost about £26; .

Re-examiued.iby Mi\ Dawsori : Plaintiff said during & part of the timo ho had. the place, he. earned money by a contract ho held. .He. put abouL, £75 into -the. plac.e, ■-;.# ■ ,'V *..-,- > ..-.• ■, ■ . .-..' ..•■■; Christopher. Gisbdrna Piesse , ttatod that he negotiated with defendant last year for the purchase. of a farm at Patutahi^ On Amgusb 25 < plaintiff, defendant, and .witness met atu witness' office. • Witness; bought the; place on .the condition ,that plaintiff abandoned iany claim for improvements,* ami. . on condition. . that defendant .! paid the increased value . of the^ .... -stock. ■ Witness suggested, that a. valuer from Williams and- Kettle's - should assess* the vail de -.of tlie^istock.:'rl|ef,endant agreed to. the. agent going out, and they .arranged* to visit the placer .next morning. • Defends ant next day- said vhe was in a hurry ito get out to WsiatatutU),and would not be able to go out with the valuer ami witjt^ess^ Defendant told witness he wouM; hot meet plaintiff— he had plenty of his 6\rn business to- attend to; • ..<■■

To rilr Afoim :- Witness made the arrangemjenfc. for- a valuer and paid him; Alfred Stanley Parker^ stock agent for Williams and Kettle,! said he valued the stack! on the. farm in question in August lajt. He placed the total value at £378 19s 6d. It was a fair valuation as the stock were looking well. Mr ilaim said the defence was that defendant : denied absolutely the employment of • a valuer, arid lie denied having agreed to pay plaintiff anything. .Defendant said he put plaintiff on his land, and later> an agreement ;to lease was made up.' Plaintiff worked on until Christmas, 1912, "when he was . given a statement of accounts by witness.}: He did -Rot remember ever being in* MrPiesse's . office with .plaintiff. ' He heard Mr Piesse say he, would get a valuer, but. he was not a party to the prtgagement of. >fr PaTker, He never Knew of any arrangement to go-put to valtie the stock

To Mr Daweon : In the bill of sale he valued all ' the cattle at £7 per head-. All the documents were signed" for both of 'them. /Whefr " plaintiff signed thetigreemeiit he* did not tell him ho could go on- as before" All the, evidence given By fitnesses about the > arrangements ?wa;s false; -He received Paper's valuation from' Mr 'Piesse, and v said itwas father Jarge *is compared .with the value of thi& /stock as .estimated eight months before. He never received let : ,ters from plaintiff, asking him to meet him. He was always prepared . to, do business in his own office,- not in any 'bne'« officer He was anxious to meet plaintiff, but never thought of writing plaintiff to let him know when he could meet him.. - Piesse never told him he could not purchase until defendant had 'Some, to a definite arrangement with plaintiff. ••! . . ... ': ' Mr Dawsbn: Did not -Mr Piesse ask you Svhat \vas plaintiff- s position in the matter? - ( . Witness : I don't remember. His Worship:. Have you a good memory? - , ,v Witness : If I want to remember anything I always put At down. To Mir Dawson : You have a good deal of .business in dealing?— l, might liave. ■Mr Dawspn : You have a good memory?— Pretty fair. . \ To Mr Manii: Sii\ce February he had been in town about every three weeks. To his Worship : He contributed .£lO towards^ th&' purchase of pigs, and £5i4 15s. towards the pui-cha^e of cattle. He did not : contribute any more;. Claude ; Jolin Hamilton, secretary of theOkitu factory, produced a cop>' of defendant's ledger account from October, 1912. to Augtist, 1913; £11 lss 2d was credited to thp separator, v and the balance due was transferred to the account of Mr Piesse, Of,' ; the eleven payments made, five cheques, totalling £69 9s 2d, were made to plaintiff, -and six, amounting to £73/85.6d,. were paid to defendant. , • . Xo .Mi- Dawson: Mr Trumper's signature appears; on five receipts. John Henry Jone§, accountant/ deposed) thajb he k«pt defendant's books. Payments 'amounting to £16 were made to plaintiff since May. Plaintiff told witness in Julyihat he wasi to .receive a remuneration of .£2 per week. He produced i a statement of the position between p.laultiff and defendant \ip to July. He had found Qut since that th eve «, was a. debit of £20 to plaintiff. , • Counsel addressed his Worship, and the Court rose about 5.3Q p.m. ■ . .