ONE FARTHING FINE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 722, 22 January 1910, Page 10

ONE FARTHING FINE.

INSPECTOR'S ACTION; CONDEMNED. :\'ln: ■■' tlie "', Magistrate's :;Court Vat. Tauniarunui;- last ■;Tu«sday,:..Mr..' :: l l '. , ; O'B; louglinan, S.M.,';.' presiding,- .the:■.'lnspector-, of; Awards proceeded:, against -W./H. Wackrow, manager'.'! of■'the Taringauiutu. ■Totara Sawmills Conipanjy Limited; 'for a penalty .for. broach of the.North- Auckland- timber workers' award by paying the wages-of mill, employees monthly instead of fortnightly.' '; : :\., '■■■ :: .....■ v '.-;.;■;. Mr. Tristrom defended, and'-the case aroused a- good deal of •■; interest." "The evidence' for the/: defence- was..-.-to I; the effect that' the:.'men.-:'had -'been ■.'offered their .wages fortnightly;. but had nnanimously -oeoided' that monthly: 'payments suited thoni better, and-had refused, to accept fortnightly payments. The mill is situ-: afed. fourteen ..miles : from .Taringamutu, and. to deposit, their .wages' in a bank or to;settle their accounts involved a lpsV of two days to the men'aftertach payday.v. The men, sixty, in: number, sent a , representative', to the. Court . to ; ; give evidence on their.behalf, and, in,a concise ; statement, ■ Mr. Page, representiiig the men,:assured■ the.magistrate.:that if. the award .was obeyed, great loss ■ and inconvenience would be suffered by: the mill'employees.-. ,' . : .: : . -.-.. .. -~: .•The magistrate spoke heatedly on the matter, and characterised' the inspector's action as a monstrous one, ; which 1 should never: have been brought-. ;ta 'waste thetime of the.Court.'-, .The action .appeared, to have, been brought : : for the purpose' of harassing' all parties ■ conoerned, and it was against the spirit of the Act that parties to awards should Ire penalised for i carrying out arrangements: which benefited the men particularly, ami that, he trusted : the inspector would not- again bring another-such casel before Miiiu. :.-'■■ , ; There beingV;?" technical breach,: the ;S.M.'gave. judgment, for, a- penalty of one farthing,"(without costs.—"Waikato Ar-, 'Rβ*.**-:' , ---:".'" , -" ;; ■ - : -:.-■.■■'::. ---r-i .'■■.■!',-,:■ ■:,■: