INDUSTRIAL BREACHES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 201, 22 August 1912, Page 2

INDUSTRIAL BREACHES.

UNDERPAID CLOTHING KAITDS. HEAVY FINES IMPOSED. A number of industrial cases were heard by Mr C. C Kettle, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court thia morning. Mr E. W. F. Gohna, inspector of awards, appeared on behalf of the Labour Department.

11. N. Jordan, a clothing manufacturer, of Alexandra Street, pleaded guilty to failing to keep .1 wages and overtime book, as required by the Act. Mr Gohns stated that the defendant had failed to ill I in the column setting forth the occupation of liia employees, and this in spite of three separate warnings by the inspector, one being written in the book itself. There were two charges against him of underpaying employees, and he had been lined £10 on two such charges a year previously. Consequently the omission in the book was an important one, some of tho hands being paid under the award and others not. Mr Kettle said that he woiiM defer his decision till he had heard the other charges.

The s;ime defendant pleaded guilty to two breaches of the X.Z. Federated Tailores:ies and Pressers.' award, in that he employed a younjr woman <is a trouser machinist between February 1 and July 13, 1912, at 20/ a week instead of 25/, the award rate: also that between U)e same dates he employed a young woman ac an apprentice on a rivetting machine at piecework rates in-stejwl of ]»ayinjf her the. award rate of 12/t> per week. The lirst-mentioneil employee was oalleti, and stated that she arrived from Kngland about two years and entered defendant's employ at £S/ a week, but this was subsequently reduced to 20/. Bhe did not belong to the union, and did not know of the provisions of the award. Alter the inspector's last visit the defendant tried to <ret her to let him make up the difference by private arranjrem^at.

The defendant said that thr girl was a alow worker, and seldom earned more than 20/ a •week, but 'he had not obtaJned an under-rate worker's permit for her. On some weeks he paid her more than 20/, on a piecework basis, and jjave her concessions in the matter of hours.

In respect to the second count, Mr Crohns said .that on piecework the apprentice earned between 5/ and 10/ only, instead of tho award rate of 12/(i.

Jlr Kettle said that the oase was one for a very substantial penalty, as the defendant had in one ease desregarded •the law in npite of repeated warnings. He owed the two girls Jarge sums in arrears of pay, and it was a pity that they could claim no further than three months back. A fine of £10 and costs would bo imposed in re&pect of each of the three breaches.

Tlie first of the two girls admitted a breach of the award by failing to claim the award wage, but no ipenaJty was imposed.

HOTEL TIME-TABLES. F. Hayrick, licensee o f the Newmarket Hotel, admitted a breach of tlve Auckland Hotelworkers' award in having failed to exhibit a time-table in a prominent place in hi< premises. Mr Colins staled that tlie defendant had prepared tirue-shcets, and these were kept in his desk. A fine of £.■2, was imposed. C. McManus, licensee of the Clarendon Hotel, admitted a similar breach. Mr Colin* observed that this was a rather different ca«p, as the defendant had given him a written statement in whicli he declared that be would not abide by tlie award time-table which hie predecessor had hung , up in the office, but intended to work by one of his own. In any ease, th- , time-table ought not to be in the office, but in a conspicuous place. The defendant said that he had newly crmie from Wellington, and believed he might work under the time-table in use t'n ere.

•Mr Kettle imposed a fine of £5. MISCELLANEOUS. Proceedings 'were taken under the Auckland Hairdressers' award against an apprentice named J. W. Attrill, whose father admitted that he had left the employment of S. Kleineman, of Khyber Pass, in order to become a cadet steward on the s.s. Wakatere. The inspector said that the lad left his employer without notice, thereby causing him a good dec.l of inconvenience.

Mr Kettle remarked that if the lad wanted to leave no doubt his employer would no.t have put any obstacles in his way. A fine of £2 and costs would be inflicted. w. John Dobbin, until lately a proprietor of a three-penny tearoom in. Federal f-'troet, admitted having employed a man in the kit-rlipn at piecework rates in - sU\tl of at 27/G A week, and paying another 15/ instead of 32/f> a week. The defendant said that the profits from his class of business were very small, and he thought the award would not affect little places like his. Tie had made nip all the arrears of pay in each instance. Mr Keli.le thoun-h.t that a fine of £1 would meet the case, and advised the defendant not to cut prices and wages at the same time.

E. 'Wilson and Co., ea.rriers, were charged with a breach of the Auckland Drivers' award by failing to keep a proper wages and overtime book. Mr Cohns explained that l!ie trouble was that the book was not kept in the stable, as the award reijuireil. A -nominal fine of JCI -was inflicted.

If. P. Simmons, who lias a confectionery shop at the Empire Theatre, Dominion Road, was charged with a breach of section 3a. of the Shops and Offices Act, by employing a young woman alter 9 p.m. She. pleaded ignorance of the law's provisions, anil was fined 5/ and coats. A. J. Parker ami Co. -svc7e fined £2 for employing a ship plumber (a unionist) without applying to the union.