COLOURED DRESSES

Hawera Star, Volume L, 10 September 1930, Page 2

COLOURED DRESSES

“AN EGEEGIOUS MISTAKE. ’ ’

ECHO OF COURT ACTION.

The action taken by the Labour Department in prosecuting a Wellington drapery concern because the girls in its employ chose to wear coloured gowns instead of the regulation black was referred to .by Mr R. A. Wright (Reform, Wellington Suburbs) in giving notice of a question to the Minister of Labour in the House of Representatives yesterday. Mr Wright’s question was as follows: “(1) Whether his attention had been directed to the report in the daily Press of a prosecution against the D.I.C. Co., Ltd., Wellington, for an alleged breach of the shop assistants’ award? (2) Whether ho is aware that, the charge was laid by the Labour Department, its contention being that the company had compelled its assistants to wear coloured frocks at their own expense, in place of the black dresses and aprons which are supplied free of cost? (3) Seeing that the magistrate dismissed the case and said it should never have been brought before the court, will the Minister explain why his department made suc-h an egregious mistake?”