WORKING ON SUNDAY.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 April 1925, Page 1

WORKING ON SUNDAY.

WELLINGTON. April 21

"It is clear that tlie defendant was working al his calling, which. I take it. is his regular work or occupation. As he did this on Sunday and in view of a public place I think be lias brought himself within tlie meaning oi the Police Offences Amendment Act." said Mr C. R. Orr-AValker. S.M.. at the Magistrate’s Court at Wellington, in a reserved judgment in a ea.se in which the police proceeded against Janies Francis Egan, a land salesman, for working at his calling in a public place on a Sunday. His Worship said that defendant was a land salesman, and in pursuance of his desire to sell certain sections at Johnsonville, he conveyed two “clients” to the locality on a Sunday, and while doing so was in view ol the public house, lie had previously advertised that likely purchasers would Ik* shown over the sections on any Snndav.

Counsel argued that the object ol the Act was to prevent manual labourer,, or tradesmen from carrying on their usual work or trade on a Sunday. hut from a per,uni of the exemptions in tin* same section ol ihe Act, for instance, telegraph and post tiliice officials and persons employed in publishing a newspaper, it is obvious that our statute is not so limited. The decisions under tlie English Sunday Observance Act. passed about o.jo years ago, do not help us. as the language in that Act is very restricted, the wording of our Police Od'ences Act is very wide and prohibits many acts which tho English Act does not. As the proceedings were in the nature of a test ease, defendant was convicted and ordered to pay costs 7s oil each charge.

His Worship said that the English penalty was one not exceeding ss, or 48 hours in the stocks!