“INFERNALLY STUPID”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1032, 24 July 1930, Page 12

“INFERNALLY STUPID”

JUDGE HITS OUT ANOTHER COURT NEEDED “It is high time we had another court when an expensive court like this is worried with such infernally stupid things as this. It is just about as stupid a thing as I have heard for a long time.” This indignant outburst came from Mr. Justice Frazer, president of the Arbitration Court, today, as a protest against the wasting of the Court’s time on trivial disputes. The judge’s comment was provoked on an application by the Inspector of awards for an interpretation of a

clause in the Retail Shop Assistants’ Award. The point on which the Court’s decision was sought was whether a woman employed to cut and prepare samples for posting to customers of goods sold in the dress department came within th,e scope of the award, and if so, whether she was entitled to one-half moro than the wages specified for female workers.

It was stated that the woman’s work consisted in cutting a strip of material from the bolt and having it, cut into samples and suitably mounted lor posting.

The employers’ contention advanced by Mr. S. E. Wright was that a girl so engaged was part of the office staff and not a shop assistant, while Miss Purcell. secretary of the female retail Shop Assistants’ Union, claimed that as the young woman was practically always employed on this work she was a shop assistant. In reserving decision on the point, his Honour said the real issue was whether sample work was the work of a shop assistant or whether It could be considered as office work. The Court had to decide whether a girl, who cut a few samples, was to receive more than 50 per cent, of £2 12s 6d weekly;