THE MERCHANTS' ASSOCIATION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XL, Issue 12538, 8 May 1915, Page 5

THE MERCHANTS' ASSOCIATION.

(Per Press Association.) Christclmrch, Slay 8. The action Fairbairri, "Wright, and Co. v. Levin and Co. (the Merchant's' Association) has been settled out of court by defendants paying a substantial sum in full settlement. Th-e; action was tried before the Court of Appeal in April, 1914, to determine whether plaintiff's statement of claim was good in law. The Full Court unanimously decided that plaintiffs had a good cause of action against defendants on the ground of -conspiracy amounting to illegal interference with' Fairbairn, "Wright, and Co.'s method of conducting their business in connection with the purchase of sugar. Defendants obtained leave to appeal to the Privy Council, which now lias been abandoned. The case, now that no appeal is ta be taken to the Privy Council, establishes the law in New Zealand as follows: "That any trader who suffers: damage from a combination, or injury amounting to a breach of the Commercial Trusts Act has his remedy in a court of justice for damages to the extent of the loss he can prove." This is the first time in the history of the Empire that the above proposition has been established in law.