CLAIM FOR ALLEGED LIBEL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13427, 8 July 1914, Page 6

CLAIM FOR ALLEGED LIBEL.

COST OF LIVING COMMISSION. • (Per Press Association.! . CHRISTCHURCH, this day. lhe case Andrew Fairbaarn, a ciaim for £10CO for libel against the Otago Daily Times, was Opened before, his Honor Judge Sim. Sir John Findlay and Mr Wright appeared for the plaintill and Messrs McGregor and Singer for the defendants. Sir John Findti.y said that Fairbairn at first refused to act on tho Cost of Living Commission, 1912, but consented when he found his name gazetted. A leading article m .the Times, headed "Fatted Official Documents," implied that the Commission had distorted the evidence. The mere fact that the report was different from the newspaper's report was not sufficient to base » charge of rascality. The article was actuated by malice unprecedented m the annals* 1 of the Dominions journalism, and Showed the writer. was unfit for his position. Plaintiff's case was .that there had been no tampering, and that all official, reports were corrected by the witnesses. In the libel case, the charge of suppression rested on t-tatements about Reckitt's Blue alleged to '"have been made by Cuthbert Bowyer and A. W. Jamieson, and not included m the official report. Ettie Rout, official reporter, said that Jnmieson did not make a statement before the Commission. Jamieson corrected and signed the official report. Dr. James Hight, a member of tlie 'Commission, said that the statement regarduig blue was not made by Jamieson. >» o proposals were made by the Commission to tamper with the evidence.