SHILLING FINE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 4 November 1942, Page 2

SHILLING FINE

MILKMEN GO TO WORK TOO EARLY PROSECUTIONS CRITICISED Auckland, This Day. “It is not in the spirit of the times to prosecute people for starting their work early when there is so much to do, and so little labour to do it,” said Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., yesterday, when claims for penalties of £5 each were brought against 11 milk roundsmen for alleged breaches of the Auckland (25-mile radius) milk roundsmen’s award, in that they had started work before 3 a.m. on 27th August. The claims were brought by George Ivan Mayhew, inspector of awards, for whom Mr G. Brown appeared. Mr C. J. Lovegrove represented nine of the men, who were employed by Ambury’s, Limited.

Mr Lovegrove said ithat, with one exception, the men for whom he appeared were either elderly or were suffering from serious physical infirmities. In some cases, because of the reduction in public transport services, they reached the depots an hour or more before the time for

starting work, and by their own choice commenced their rounds so that they could do the work in leisurely fashion and still finish within the time limit set by the Milk Council. The exception was a man who did a full milk round. By starting early, he was able to finish in time to proceed to other employment in a war industry, at which he was employed 40 hours a week.

The magistrate said these were elderly men doing work that was previously done by fit men, and they were starting early to overcome the difficulties caused by the shortage of manpower. He could not under-

stand the department’s reason for prosecuting under existing conditions. He hoped the department would use its discretion before instituting similar prosecutions. People could not to-day expect the continuance of peace-time conditions and amenities. He regretted it was not in his power to dismiss the prosecutions, but he would impose a penalty commensurate with the gravity of the offence—a fine of one shilling in each case.