WE’RE NOT ON SPEAKING TERMS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17781, 26 February 1926, Page 7

WE’RE NOT ON SPEAKING TERMS.

FRIEDLANDER FEUD IS TOLD IN COURT. (Special to the “ Star.”) AUCKLAND, February 26. The hearing was continued to-day of a case that disclosed serious differences on a business matter between members of a family which has for long years been conspicuous in the Canterbury and Auckland commercial and sporting communities. William H. M. Peacock, of Mangere. farmer (Mr M’Veagh) sued Eric Waldemar Friedlander, Tuakau, farmer (Mr Towle) and Emil Friedlander, of Ashburton, farmer (Mr Richmond) asking the Court for a decree directing the specific performance of an agreement for the transfer of a farm property at Tuakau. Emil Friedlander, further cross-exam-ined, said that he did not object in writing to the arrangement for partnership till three years had passed. Then for the first time, either verbally or in writing, he questioned his uncle’s authority to make a contract on his behalf- He did not go to h% uncle and repudiate it, because they were not on jspeaking terms. Before May, he wrote to Eric Friedlander. Witness was aware of the transfer to Eric, and stamp duty had been paid on it. His reason for not writing to repudiate liability after hearing of the. purchase, was that he had previously declined to have anything to do with the matter, unless it were financed as his father wished. He was not aware that all Hugo Friedlander’s subsequent letters were written on the assumption that the contract still stood. When Eric told him at the hospital that Hugo could not fall in with Max's scheme of financing, he understood that he was out of the transaction, and treated Hugo’s later letters with contempt, though they showed he considered the contract still subsisted. Re-examined, witness denied that he ever made terms of partnership with Eric, or even discussed them. Very strong feeling existed between the two Friedlander families. Max and Hugo had not spoken to each other since before the 1919 negotiations. Their ' sons, however, continued friendly.