LONG HOURS.

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 49, 15 May 1930, Page 11

LONG HOURS.

BOY WORKS SEVENTY HOURS

IN ONE WEEK.

'CONTRARY TO DICTATES OF HUMANITY."

Victor Mumford, of Lower Hutt, engaged in the hawking of fruit and vegetables, "was proceeded against by the Inspector of Awards (Mr W. J. Mountjoy) in tfhe Lower Hurfet Cour.t last week witih four breaches of the Shops and Offices A^jt. On the first count, of employing an assistant for more than 48 hours a week he was fined £4, on the second and third for employing an assistant for more than nine hours a day, and on a statutory half holiday,, respectively, he was convicted' and discharged; and on ,the fourth count of failing to keep a record in English—of assistants, he was fined £2.

The Inspector of Awards said that Mumford employed- several boys in his business and one boy had worked) 70J hours in one week, where the Act provided a maximum, of 48 hours. On one day the boy had commenced working at a quarter to seven in the morning and had not finished until half-past eleven at night. Although four charges at been laid defendant many more charges could have been made. The Department looked upon it as an exceptionally bad ease, and he would ask the Magistrate to regard 'it as serious, as it was the worst case of its kind he had encountered in his experience as an inspector. t . . Mr C. R. Barrett said the circumstances of the case were not as serious as stated by the Inspector as defendant was unaware that his van constituted a '•' shop *' under the meaning of the Shops and Offices Act. In view of defendant *s ignorance; of -the Act and :'the fact that defendant had had no previous warning he submitted that the Magistrate might view the offence leniently. The Magistrate, Mr "W. H. Woodward, said that the defendant might not haye v known that Jiis business came under the. Act, but he must have known that employing a boy foi- .such hours, was contrary to the dictates of humanity.