COLOURFUL GOWNS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 210, 5 September 1930, Page 10

COLOURFUL GOWNS.

SHOP GIRLS IN WELLINGTON.

DEPARTMENT PROSECUTION FAILS.

COSTS AGAINST. THE CROWN.

( By Teleirapli.-Presa Association) WELLINGTON,' Thursday. Because the shop girls of a large Well-I feHrtn drapery I»6u*e chose to dress yn Joured gowns instead of the regulate black, the drapery company was proseeutfid by the Labour Department mt to Magistrate's Court this morning. IJi« magistrate, Mr. -J. & Barton, in diemissing the information, said that the aXn should not have been brought So adopted the unusual procedure .of Sowing costs against the Crown. The inspector of awards, Georgeson, proceeded against the,;P.LC/ W Watson) to recover £10 as a penalty for anSfeged breach of the Wellington retail ho°p assistants' award the alleged breach being that, the defendant comnany had required its female employees t 7dres S in coloured, garment*,- m place of the black dree.es and worn and that the company had failed Z Fovide such free of cost to the emPl Do C r?thy WeUinge, a saleswoman in the mantle department, said the assistants in her department had selected their own colour, and the garments we e made on the premises at conadeiably below ordinary cost. The V™V°*£J? adopt colours had come from the mantle staff, who felt that they would like to dress in different colours irom year to year. No instructions had been received from the management, and the manager had been surprised when he saw them. No member of the staff had complained. Two other employees gave similar evidence, and the inspector was ta call further evidence when Mr. Watson objected that, as it was clear that the charge must fail, it would only be wasting time to call further evidence After the inspector had intimated that the evidence which he proposed to call was similar, the magistrate stated that it'was clear that no offence had been committed, the brighter locking having been adopted at the staffs re4«eet. He proposed to dismiss the Ca Mr. Watson urged that, although it was unusual, this was a casein which the Labour Department should pay the costs, as it was one which should not have been brought. He was perfectly satisfied that it had been commenced at the instigation of the secretary of the. union. ~ » ~ The magistrate stated that it was most unusual to allow any costs against a Department in such cases, but he would mark his disapproval of the proceedings by allowing £1 1/ costs against the Labour Department.