£10 FINE

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3296, 4 August 1943, Page 5

£10 FINE

AN ESSENTIAL WORKER CASE HEARD IN PAEROA LEFT WITHOUT PERMISSION A fine of £lO was imposed upon an Indian, Fakiria Singh by Mr W. H. Freeman, S.M., in the Paeroa Court on Monday on a charge that on March 3 at Waihi, while a person employed in an essential industry, the Martha Gold Mining Company, he left his employment without the prior permission in writing of the District Manpower Officer. Singh wrote pleading guilty. The District Manpower Officer, Mr R. W. Chappell, stated that Singh had given a considerable amount of trouble. He had been employed as a timber worker and had asked for a release to come to this district to cut flax. Since he had been in the district he had created friction among the other workers and then when it was announced that Indians were not being called up for Army service in the meantime, Singh became impossible and he had been permitted to terminate his employment as a flax cutter.

Singh had then gone to work for the Martha Gold Mining Company but after a few weeks had asked to be released. Singh had then 'been advised that if he left the mine he would have to go back to the timber or flax work but he refused to do so.

The police had had trouble in locating Singh who was now farming in Taranaki.

A fine of £lO with costs 18s was imposed.