DRIVERS' HOURS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 198, 23 August 1939, Page 12

DRIVERS' HOURS.

INCORRECT ENTRIES.

"SWEATING" NOT ALLEGED

"This ift a matter that should be made public and drivers should be made to realwe that the keeping of proper time records in their books must be taken seriously," said Mr. C. G. Chisholm, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court this morning, when fining two drivers, H. L. Mills and P. Taylor, 10/ and costs each for failing to enter their correct houre of work in a time book.

Mr. J. E. Ainsworth, prosecuting for the Transport Board, said that because of complaints a check had been made and it was found that the defendants had not entered their correct hours of work. They were employed as .drivers on a goods service running between Auckland and Te Aroha. Mr. Ainsworth said that there was no suggestion of "sweating" in the present cases. The Transport Licensing Regulations allowed reasonable hours to be worked, but at the same time guarded against sweating. Mr. Holmden, appearing for the defendants, said Taylor's explanation was that he had delayed himself at Te Aroha and it was to cover up the delay, and for his personal convenience, that he had made the incorrect entry. Mills had not kept his time book up to date and had got six weeks behind in the entries. When he did make it up he did it mostly by guesswork. Mills had earned up to £2 a week in overtime.

The magistrate said it was clear the offences were committed by the drivers and not by the employer.