EARTHQUAKE FUND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 250, 20 September 1929, Page 7

EARTHQUAKE FUND.

PROCEEDS OF DANCE. WELLINGTON, Sept. 19. The hearing was concluded before Mr E. Page, S.M., of the ease in connection with the jazz evening held in the Town Hall on July 8 in aid of the earthquake relief fund, which led to the Mayor (Mr G. A. Troup), as trustee of the Wellington fund, to sue Charles Forrest and Morris Domb for £9B 7s sd. This sum was said to have been paid in short from the proceeds of the dance. _ Mr Mazengarb submitted that on the evidence the plaintiff’s case must fail. There was no doubt that the dance had been run in a very lax fashion, but the trouble was that Forrest was not a business man. However, the receipts for all the moneys paid’ out had been put in, and his client was perfectly honest. The seventeen musicians'had been paid 30s each, hut then that wias only the minimum, because £1 was charged from 8 p.m. to. midnight, and is Gel for each hour after. The dance had not finished until 1.15 a.m. Forrest did not know that-he was not to pay the musicians, and The whole thing had been perfectly honest. No charge should have been made for organising such a function, hut all the returns had been furnished. There had been no check kept on the tickets, and the receipts were very rough, hut still it was because Forrest was not a business man. , . Counsel said that the police had looked fully into the matter, and had interviewed everyone who had been paid. From their investigations they stated that no action could be taken. ~,,,, Mr O’Shea: That may be, but that is so far as a criminal charge is concerned. This is a civil claim, howTlie Magistrate said he thought there was a case for the defence to answer. ~ . ~ Forrest gave evidence as to tne moneys paid out, etc. He said that the dance was put on after it had been talked over by the boys of the Mr Cresswell said he did not intend to put Domb in the box, as Domb had not handled any of the money, and there was no liability on linn. Mr P.age stated he would reserve his decision in the matter. On the Magistrate’s suggestion it was agreed that the “police file” in connection with the case should be put in as evidence.