MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 January 1918, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

YESTERDAY'S SITTING. BREACH OF FACTORY ACT. (Before Mr A. Crooko, S.M.). On the information of the Inspector of Factories J. WnkWin) Messrs Keig and .Manners, tailors, New Plymouth, were charged with 011 or about the 11th December, 11)17, employing a female worker before the hour ot 8 a.m. without a permit. Defendants pleaded guilty. Albert Kcig said they were, very busy at the time and the girl was making up time lost through the sickness of one of the men employed. The Inspector stated that 011 the morning in question the employee referred to had been found working at 7.30. But for the fact that the practice had been going on fot some weeks probably the action would not have been taken in the present case. It was only necessary for defendants to, obtain a permit from the inspector in order to work employees before .8 o'clock in the morning. Had they applied they would undoubtedly have got a permit for the morning m question. A fine of £1 and cost 7 s was inflicted.

SHbPS AND OFFICES ACT. Frederick Carr, manager of the Marble Bar, New Plymouth, was charged on the information.of the Inspector of Factories, with, on or about the 6th December, 1917, that he did work three female employees after 10.30 p.m. without having obtained the written permission of tlie Inspector. The Inspector stated that the case waa brought under Section 2 of the Shops and Offices Act Amendment Act, 1917, which required that every employer requiring female workers to work after 10.30 in the evening must first, obtain the written permission of Inspector of Factories. On the night in question defendant had employed three female assistants until 10.45. 'The practice in the establishment was to find out when the picture entertainment was likely to be over, arid if after 10.30 a permit f'or overtime was applied for, and was usually granted. Tlio inspector said that even after the present proceedings had been instituted defendant had been careless in the matter of applying for permits. On several occasions application had been received after office hours. When the new Act, came into force notices had been sent out to employers. Mr. A. 11. Johnstone who appeared for defendant, pleaded guilty. He said he had not been aware until he opened his statutes (which had only just come to hand) that morning of the amendment to tht Act under which the charge was laid. Ho said that arrangements had now been made for tlie employment of male instead of female attendants in the evenings, and that the offence would not be repeated; A fine of -20s (costs 7s) was inflicted.