ALLEGED LIBEL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16376, 25 June 1927, Page 4

ALLEGED LIBEL

TIMPANY CASE RESUMED PLAINTIFF CROSS-EXAMINED (Ter Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. When the Timpany libel case was cOn-. tinued.'the plaintiff, answering a ques-i tion, said the figures he had. used at Mataura of the quantities- of produce held by several firms were supplied to him by a committee of 13 factories opposed to control. He represented two out of the three proprietary factories in Southland.

In answer to another question, plaintiff reiterated that 5000 tons of Goodfellow butter—New Zealand Co-Opera-tive Dairy Co.— was not subject to control. He denied that he was the source of the information which appeared in the New Zealand Times. After it appeared the board passed a resolution censuring him, but he was absent through not receiving correspondence. For the defence Mr. Blair said they submitted that- the statements published were statements of fact, and were fair comment.

J. R. Thacker, and ex-member of the board, and chairman during Mr. Grounds' absence in Britain, said he was in the chair at the meeting at which the Premier's cablegram was received. Members were supplied with copies confidentially, and the information could only be given out by the authority of the board. fl\ C. Brash, secretary of the-board, stated that tlie cablegram from Mr. Coates reached the board in a letter marked private and Confidential. The board's doings were usually made known through the Exporter newspaper, and in no other case had anything been disseminated in any other way. Witness recollected Timpany stating that he had a duty to give his electors information in which they were interested. It was clearly intimated to members that Mr. Coate's cablegram was confidential. John Fisher, who was defeated by Timpany for a seat on the boaid, point-, ed out that what he had said in his election addresses were inaccuracies on the part of Timpany. There was no bad feeling between them personally. ' O. J. Hawken, Minister of Agriculture, said he received Mr. Coate's cablegram through the acting-Premier, and directed that a copy be sent to the board for its consideration.