Under _a decree issued by the Soviet Government individuals who own motor-cars in Russia are no longer-to be able to run them atthe expense of the Soviet State, as most of them have been doing. The decree describes the almost universal past practice of private-car owners as the "equivalent of stealing" from the State.
A boy, rushing from the pavement to eross the road near the Bank of England, collided with a young woman, Who fell, and an omnibus ran over her leg, which was afterwards amputated, Miss Kathleen Gladys Yeo. aged 23, of the Little Birches, Sidcup, Kent, sued the Eastern Telegraph Company and Cable and Wireless for damages for the injuries she received, and his Lordship was informed of the circumstances in which an ex gratia payment of £250 would be made to Miss Yeo.
"Cards on the Table"
Mr. Charles Doughty, K.C.. said both sides had put "all their cards on the table," and the respective solicitors knew what evidence each could offer.
Cable and Wireless Ca, had a large number of boys as messengers, but that company was not brought into the case until nearly.a year after the accident, and it was then far too late to trace the movements of their boys on the day in question, The companies, therefore, took the strongest pos. sible line that they could not be The number of private motor-car owners has grown rapidly in the last few years since the State factori@s) in Moscow and Gorki began prodveing an appreciable number of cars. Many of these were issued to such deserving elements of the population as the "Stakhanoyites" (workers who set the pace), managers of enterprises, writers, actors, artists, and doctors as pre-miurus, for good service Sometimes the fortunate recipients were actually given _cars; in the cther cases they were' allowed to buy them. The remainder of the car production is eagerly absorbed by State institutions and factories and by the farms.
Troubles of Ownership The lucky recipient of a car as his private property was faced, however, with several thorny problems, It is as difficult-in' the cities to obtain space in a garage it is to get a room to live in,.and the cost is rarely less than 300 roubles a month, Even for a Stakhanovite earning as much as 1,500 rouble: month—a high wage indeed—this would be a ton-siderable item, Mr. Russell Vick, K.C., for Mi Yeo, said there was a serious dificulty in her way in establishing liability on the part of either of the defendant companies. That difficulty to prove that, even if the boy in their employment, he was acting "in the course of that employ-'The only evidence was that the accident happened during the company's office hours. The time was about 4.50 p.m.
Every assistance had been given liable.
"But," continued Mr. Doughty, "I was approached by Mr. Vick with the request that the companies should do what they could in the matter on the basis of generosity. We have made a purely ex gratia payment, with repudiation of liability.
Lord Hewart—It seems to be a very proper settlement; indeed, the defendant companies have behaved very generously. I will make the necessary order,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.