DISSATISFIED DALMATIAN

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 614, 16 March 1929, Page 6

DISSATISFIED DALMATIAN

WANTED MORE COMPENSATION “We are rather inclined to think that if plaintiff had been a sensible man lie would have accepted the £125 offered him eight months ago,” said Air. Justice Frazer in the Arbitration Court yesterday afternoon in summing up the case in which John Saltarieh, labourer (Air. Fawcett) claimed compensation from Sir Frederick Lang (Air. Richmond), by whom plaintiff had been employed. Aledical evidence called in support of the claim suggested an osteo-arthritis of the spine from which plaintiff had been suffering before he met with the accident on which he based his claim, had aggravated the disease. Other doctors denied that the fall and consequent fracture of the spinal processes had hastened the progress of the disease. Plaintiff had been cutting standing timber when he fell 15 feet. Sir Frederick, through an insurance company, had offered him £125 as full settlement, but Saltarieh had preferred to take the case to Court.

In giving judgment his Honour said the Court had really nothing before it to enable it to say that the accident had caused incapacity beyond 12 months. Plaintiff would be given £125.