MERCILESS PURGE IN RUSSIA

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20763, 25 June 1937, Page 9

MERCILESS PURGE IN RUSSIA

HIGH OFFICIALS INVOLVED CHARGES OF CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE THOUSANDS OF SUSPECTS ARRESTED United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright (Received June 24, 8.30 p.m.) LONDON June 23. The Riga correspondent of "The Times” says: The merciless industrial purge continues. Arrests and dismissals during the past week number thousands. Hardly a branch of industry escaped. Large numbers of directors, managers and high officials who have been arrested will be tried for incompetency and criminal negligence. CLAIM FOR DAMAGES SETTLEMENT ANNOUNCED AUSTRALIAN INSURANCE COMPANIES’ CASE United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Coprrlghr SYDNEY, June 23. The action for libel and slander in which the Australian Provincial Assurance Association claimed £50,000 damages from the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society, was settled in the Supreme Court. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed. The action was mentioned in the Supreme Court at Sydney on May II on an application by the defendant company to amend a plea.

The declaration filed stated that both plaintiffs and defendants issued group assurance policies under which both received large sums from the employees of the New South Wales Government Railways, many of whom were members of the Australian Railways Union. The plaintiffs complained that the defendants published an article containing the statement that it had come to the knowledge of the union and many of its branches that unscrupulous agents were producing copies of “The Railroad” when they approached railway workers, and were stating that they represented the mutual non-shareholding life society recommended by the Australian Railways Union. It was stated that the article declared that many union members had been misled and had taken policies of little value with offices definitely not endorsed by the union. The plaintiffs complained that certain statements meant, inter alia, that a person was unwise to take out a policy with the plaintiffs.

The defendants denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty. The application concerned an additional plea, to which the Court allowed an amendment, and ordered the plaintiffs to pay the defendants’ coets of the application.

STATEMENT BY COUNSEL

REPUDIATION OF SLANDEROUS CRITICISM

United Pre*’ Association Bv Telegraph—Copyright

(Received June 24. 11.25 p.m.) SYDNEY, June 24

Apropos of the libel and slander action between the Australian Provincial Assurance Association, Ltd., and the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society, Ltd., it is now disclosed that when the matter came before the Acting Chief Justice (Mr Owen), on Tuesday, the defendant’s solicitor, Mr R. C. Cook, read a notice and an apology in which the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society, Limited, withdrew and repudiated all statements published in tb.e Railways Journal, “The Railroad,” and expressed regret for them. In addition, the defendant acknowledged that the Australian Provincial Assurance Association, Limited,” is one of the companies approved by the Railways Commissioners for group assurance of its employees.”