RESTAURANTS’ PROBLEM

Evening Star, Issue 22595, 12 March 1937, Page 9

RESTAURANTS’ PROBLEM

EMPLOYMENT OF FEMALES AFTER 10.30 P.M. CASE BEFORE COURT The difficulties confronting the proprietors through not being enabled to employ females after 10.30 p.m. were further referred to in the Police Court this morning when the adjourned case against Philip Barling of employing a female after hours was heard. The defendant previously pleaded guilty to the charge. Inspector A. J. Haub, of the Labour Department, said that the case had been adjourned previously to enable restaurant proprietors to make representations to the Government. 'He had been instructed by the department that the Act must be complied with. Mr J. S. Sinclair, who appeared for the defendant, said that an adjournment had been granted to enable representations to be made to the Minister' to see whether the injustice could be removed to allow restaurant proprietors to carry on after 10.30 p.m. _ At the time the negotiations were taking place between the restaurant proprietors and the Employers’ Federation for a deputation, but it was not possible for representatives to go to one particular centre. It was left to Mr Barling and other restaurant proprietors to interview the Minister m Dunedin, and the same procedure was being followed in other places. When the Minister was in Dunedin a deputation waited on him, and he was very sympathetic, fiut he could do nothing until Parliament met. Counsel said he felt sure the Minister was going to do something in the matter. He thought it would be an injustice if the court were pressed at this stage to inflict a penalty. All the girls in the defendant’s employ were only too walling to carry on for a quarter of an hour to help their employer over a difficulty. They would be paid overtime. The magistrate (Mr H. W. Bundle) asked if all the deputations had waited on the Minister, and the inspector stated that they had not done so yet, but the Minister informed them that the law must be carried out. The representations might drag on for a long time. . Mr Sinclair said that if that were the attitude of the Labour Department it was manifestly unfair in view of the attitude taken up by the Minister. The magistrate said that . the defendant would bo fined 20s and costs. If there were any further charge, the matter would have to be further considered.