The New Zealand Times.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1660, 14 January 1885, Page 2

The New Zealand Times.

Sir Julius Yogel has issued a second writ against Mr Chantrey Harris, the registered proprietor of the New Zealand Times, claiming another £IO,OOO damages for alleged libel published in its Summary for England of January 2nd. The alleged libel is contained in the following remarks: — “ We (the Times) published cable messages from the London agent of the Press Association, rtp-iag that Sir Julius would be sued by the company for the amount of shares which had, it was alleged, been misappropriated.'" Now, we have on more than one occasion contended that the comments of the Times upon the action of Sir Julius Yogel in connection with the Telephone Company were per fectly fair and justifiable criticism of the acts of a public man, and that therefore Sir Julius Yogel had no veal ground for his action against that journal. But, unfortunately, the Times, through sheer blundering and besotted idiocy, has now laid itself open to an action and a claim for swinging damages on the part of Yogel. The Times gravely publishes a statement alleged to be made in the cable messages from London “that Sir Julius Yogel would be sued for the amount of shares in the company which had, it was alleged, hem misappropriated.” Now, the cable messages never contained any such charge against Sir Julius Yogel. They never made a charge against him, of, virtually, stealing shares of the Telephone Company. The statement was to the effect “ that Sir Julius was to be sued for large sums of money by the company ” This crass blunder ot the Times in altogether perverting the words and meaning of a cable message constitutes a very serious ground for libel. In short, the Times, which is in a splendid positon to defend the first action raised against it by Yogel, has now given the latter a good ground of a separate action owing to the egregious blunder made in its Summary for England. As the case stands, the Times will probably be able to beat Yogel in his original action for libel, but will be mulcted in damages and costs for the libel published in its Summary for England.