BOY’S APPEAL FAILS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1033, 25 July 1930, Page 8

BOY’S APPEAL FAILS

DISMISSAL FROM POSITION “FAULTS ON BOTH SIDES” “It seems a pity that apprenticeship appeals cannot bo dealt with by magistrates or sonic other body,” commented Mr. Justice Frazer, president of the Arbitration Court yesterday, in discussing the trivial nature of one appeal under consideration. The case which provoked the comment was an appeal by an apprentice, Mervyn Gtinn, against his dismissal by .T&aac Sanders, a cabinetmaker. Mr. S. E. Wright, who appeared for respondent, stated that the grounds for the dismissal of the boy were disobedience, use of bad language, and walking out of the shop. Evidence was given by Sanders to the effect that, after using bad language to witness one morning, the boy left. He returned two days later, however, and when witness suggested to the lad that he should apologise, the boy retorted: “If you don’t like me, I’m going now,” and went. When the lad returned two days later witness declined to have him. Two employees of respondent gave evidence of the bad language used by the lad. One witness added that “the boss lost, his temper and chased the boy out of it.” The apprentice, Gunn, said that on one occasion he was absent from work through having a bad hand, he was refused his pay, but subsequently he was paid 30s through the intervention of the Labour Department. He had been accused of loafing by his employer, who had pushed him out of the shop. “It seems that there were faults on both sides —the employer being excitable, and the boy a bit insubordinate,” said his Honour. The court decided not to enter a formal decision until the next sitting of the court, to give the apprenticeship committee an opportunity of finding the boy another position.