HIGH COURT SEQUEL

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17570, 22 June 1925, Page 6

HIGH COURT SEQUEL

£IOOO A YEAR TO WIN BRIDE. HOW £3OO CLERK TRIED TO FULFIL CONDITIONS. LONDON, May 10. .V young clerk’s efforts to advance his income to £'looo a year in order to "in a bride, was the romantic story which ha dan anti-climax in the King’s Bench Division yesterday. His irrespective lather-in-law, it was stated, insisted that his intdnie should he £IOOO a year before he married. Jlis salary as a clerk was then £I3OO. -Mr \ yvian AN hitmore I’earce, of Rookhurst harm, ANest Heath lev, Sussex, was the clerk, and. lie sued Mr d. Dcighton Patmore, of Ladbroko Road, and Mr T. S. Bowen, ol Leaden - ball Street. London, for damages lor < alleged misrepresentation, bv which h* said he was induced to iincst mom.v in the Baltic Coal and Shipping Company. Mr Pearce said he told tin- story of his matrimonial prospects to Mr Patmore and Mr Bowen, who- were directors ot the Baltic Goal and Shipping Company. AVh.cn he mentioned the lar- 1 that his father would rive him £-1000 in lieu of his allowance of £2OO a year, they said theirlFronch hunkciing business required an investment of £-1000. AY AY TO MARRIAGE They suggested, said Mr Pearce, that he should talc© up 10 per cent participating preference shares, which would yield him £2OO a year. He would receive a salary of £3OO as assistant manager of the shipbroking department, a substantial share or 2-1 per cent surplus profits, and about £2-30 epinmission. bringing his income up to about £IOOO. He bought 2000 preference shares and accepted the appointment as assistant manager. Me had no idea people were getting shares for half ilia price lie paid. 110 married three months later (November 1021). No commission or dividend was paid ! and he found it difficult to obtain any information about the empany's affair?. There did not seem to be much shipbroking business. lie became dissatisfied. and left the companv in Maw 1022. COMPANY WOUND UP Mr P. M. Schiller, K.C., for Mr Pearce, said his client bought £1 shares at £2 each, although they were being bsuecl to other people at par. During the 1-3 months he was in the company l his department earned only £l-30. i After a little more than a year's ex-

isle lice t-h© company was wound no leaving a large deficiency. Cross-examined, Mr Pearce admitted that within a short time of his joining Hi© company ho borrowed £-100 from it. and that sum had not boon paid back. He agreed that during the slump in trade in 1021 many prosperous businesses failed. Th© hearing was adjourned.