The Asia Engineering Corporation were defendants in an action brought on June 18 by Mr. AL Aj Leitao before Judge Milton D. Purdy in the. U. 8, Court for Chingy a. claim being made for Tis,
with interest amounting. to some: Tls. 579. Defendants deny part off the claim, and make a counterclaim for Tis, 3,249.45, alleged, to have been collected from debtors on behalf of defendants and not turned over to them. Mr. H. D. Rodger: appeared for plaintiff and My. C. P. Holeomb for the defence, and, after the examination and cross-examina~ tion of plaintiff, the case was adjourned.
Mr. Leitao, who is a Portuguese subject, stated that at present was employed in the accounts office of Messrs. Andersen, Meyer & Ca, but from about May 1922 to Novem: ber 30, 1928, he was employed by the Asia Engineering Corporation as accountant. He had no contract, but was employed on a monthly dasis, and in 1927 and 1928 his salary was Tls. 250 a month. Prior to 1027 he claimed no unpaid salary, The final statement of accounts for the firm at the end of 1927, exhibit in court, Leitao aniongst. the sundry creditors, with Tls, 1,614.85 owing to him from the firn, and Jeounsel for defence admitted ' this, Plaintif? claimed that he had no salary paid to him for the L1 months of 1028 that he was with the firm, and that he was owed Tis, 2,750 on this account. He had received two cheques amounting to Tis, 480 dure {ing 1928, and this made the amount claimed Tis, 3,914.85, no part of which had been paid. Plaintit had no testimonial given him when he left, but in September, 1920, he asked Mr, P, A, Sargent for ' one, Which he gave," dating it buck November, 1928 This gave plainti '8 good character and strong vecommendations, Gross-examined by Mr. Holcomb, witness stated that for four or five months in 1928 he' was engaged in writing up the 1927 accounts accord ing to a new system installed by" Messrs, Mortimer Reid & Slee, and sometimes had to work until 2 am. Three Chinese carried on with the 1928 account. in the meantime, and he supervised them, although he was under the accountant firm, who did not instruct him, At the same time witness was working for Sargent and Polis, another firm run by the manager of the Asia Engineering Corporation, and received $260 4 month, On November 30 Mr. Sargent told' him that his job with'the Asia Engincer-Ing was ended: the Sargent Foi fin had shed slete ago, In 1027 and 1928 he mate collections for the Asia Enginccting and turned in all vouchers Messrs. "Mortimer Reid & Slee: he did not take any of the firm's money for his own use, Mr. Holeomb then produced as exhibits several vouchers. and comamereial documents, questioning wite ness regarding them. Some vouch ers were admitted not to have been entered, for sons, some of them having come in shortly before he left the firm, and during the last period of his service he was too busy to make the entries.
One or two items were admitted by witness to be correct, and he had forgotten about them when making out petition of.claim against the Asia Engineering Corporation. After Mr. Holeom had questioned regarding several doewments and entries, the hearing was adjourned, The defence attempted prove that the plaintiff was not employed by the Asia Engineering Corporation after December 31, 1927. In August, 19: Mr. Sargent, manager and presid: of the Corporation, stated that he had informed Mr, Leitno that the Corporation was practically going. out of business and that a new fin under the name of Sargent & Paulis, was going to complete a contract for work on the Sassoon House, Leitao, witness stated, was then offered work with Sargent & Paulis at a salary of $250 a month, all of which was paid to him until the contract expired in August, 1928, at whicn work on the Sassoon Housa was completed, In the mean! Mr. Leitao also did work for Asia Engineering Corporation to complete accounts for 1927 and ce dispose of stock. 'The work whicl Mr. Leitao did for the Asia Enggineering Corporation in 1928, Mr. Sargent alleged, was to complete unfinished work' for 1927 and the Corporation was under no obligation to pay him salary. from
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.