A NEW CHUM FARMER.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 204, 28 August 1926, Page 17

A NEW CHUM FARMER.

SUES HIS EMPLOYER. (From Our Own Correspondent.) MORRINSVILLE, Friday. In the Morrinsville Court, before Mr. J. H. Salmon, Oscar Parola, a Finn, at present working at Arapuni and a recent arrival to this country, made a claim for wages due from Aulden Valdar Hooper, farmer, of Morrinsville. Mr. W. JKing, of Hamilton, appeared for plaintiff, and Mr S. S. Allen for defendant. It was stated by plaintiff that three days after his. arrival in New Zealand he was engaged by Hooper at £2 a week and found, and worked from shortly after 3 a.m. till 9 p.m., and sometimes to 10 p.m., having three, and sometimes only two meals a day. At the end of three weeks when plaintiff left the farm he was paid only £5 instead of £6. It was stated for the defence that Parola might have been awake for 14 or 15 hours a day, but was not working for defendant the whole of the time. Parola got his three meals a day regularly and also two cups of tea during the morning milking. He had certainly goo up early but had complained of sleeplessness. Parola was unsuitable as a farm hand and at the end of the first week, it,was maintained, Parola agreed to be employed at 30/ a week, hence the payment of £5 at the termination of the three weeks. It was not a case of a new arrival- being "taken down." said Mr. Allen. The magistrate said the only question to be decided was whether there was any alteration of the contract at the end of the first week. It would be remarkable for Hooper to withhold the small sum of £1 and it "was-impossible to think that he would commit perjury for so small a sum. Plaintiff was noneuited without costs.