A LABOUR LIBEL ACTION.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13643, 7 February 1913, Page 6

A LABOUR LIBEL ACTION.

CLAIM AGAINST "MAORILAND

WORKER."

Auckland, Feb. 6. The Supreme Court was occupied with tho actions by Thomas Walsh and W. P. Black, both of Auckland, against the Now Zealand Federation'of Labour, and Alexander Gregg, claiming £450 damages for alleged libel contained m the "Maoriland Worker,'" on October 4th. Welsh was the proprietor, and Black the manager of the newspaper "Voice of Labour," published in Auckland, and secretary (if the Auckland council of the United Labour Party. The libel alleged charged Welsh witli travelling to Waikino to organise "scabs," tho words v.sed in part being : "Wo <say thar- in the history of the Australian L*a'bour Party there is not on record an incident so traitorous or so dastardly a« this. Walsh, in the .sacred name of the Labour Party—fool and knave, both— has been associated with an official organ rotten to the core, and time and again has wantonly and wickedly spoken as a credontia-Ued labour representative in a way that in a union movement would fi-ea him hanged, and in a movement anywhere else than in New Zealand would see him drummed out as worse than a .Juda*S and. ;us contemptible «-s all kind.-; of rats, and agents' provocateurs." .Mr Norton is appearing for the plaintiff, and Sir John iMi'dlay a-nd Xic. P. ,j. O'JRcgun for the- defendants..

Tiro statement of dri'enco setfj up justiJieation, and pleads that thtv paragraph .in question, is a. fair comment in tiio ■di'Seussioa of the industrial question, in which I.\'nlsh attacked the FedL'rr.tior. in violent language.

In ihe ease of Walsh t!io article was claimed by d^f(>::fla;tts to he ;\. contrihution to a political cijnti-i.-.vvrsy. On the otluhr iiand it- ,vas a'lv;.in-.\'ci that there was ih> .'.■?; fDi;ii<l lor tlic psv.'Xinal attack UKidtt nr, W r:->!^i! !>y jiam<> ;;> that his Ijapcr had .'undo g^iieral t^iar^c;-; against tbe •nnxairiKation.

The jury award'xl £50 damages, and costs were allowed. In the caw of .Black, the plaintiff denied the authorship of the- article, which v.as the subject of alleged abusive com merits hv the "Maoriland Worker." The point v.'liieh defendants stressed was that no wpcoiiic. reference wa« # made to .lliaek therefore tliere was no libel.

D.uring; the jioarinjr stormy passn.ccos occurred between Black and Sir John Findljiy.

Tiio jury rotisrwd a verdict for defendants for whom judgment was given with, costs.

Durino- the 'hearing the judge rnmarked tliat the use of such yiotenb .language »« that employed by both journals r.jjOVikl be r,np])ressod by law,