FRUITERERS FINED

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 150, 29 June 1928, Page 11

FRUITERERS FINED

A' SALE AFTER/ HOURS ,;' A plea that the defendants had acted upon unreliable information as to their privileges in regard to closing' hours, was made by Mr. W. Perry in the Magistrate's, Court to-day on behalf of Toung How Brothers, fruiterers, who were charged with failing to observe a statutory haif : holiday-and failing to close at the proper time in the evening. Mr. PeTry said' that the defendants were among the applicants for, exemption from the closing hour provisions of the Shops and Offices Amendment Act, 1927. They Were advised, that until the applications were, dealt with they must close at the ordi lary time, but the Small Shopkeepers' Association later told them that no action would be taken in the meantime if they remained open. The information upon which the association acted was afterwards found to be unreliable.. ) "■■'■ .*,'./ :. \ Inspector Metcalfe, of ; the Labour Department, gave evidence that he purchased a packet of cigarettes from 'the defendant's shop after it was supposed to be closed. "When the shop assistant or shop manager found I was an inspector," be saH, "he tried, of course, to get me to except £2 ffnd say nothing about thr matter." •■•■/ Mr. W. J. Mountjoy, of the Labour Department, who prosecuted, said that all the applicants for the exemption were given notice that they must close at the ordinary time. » "There may have been some impression in the minds of these men that if they applied for the exemption they could carry qn untilthat application was dealt with," said Mr. E. Page, S.M. A fine of £I,was.imposed on the first charge, and on the second charge the defendants, were convicted' and discharged. .: ;