BAKER PROSECUTED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22434, 2 June 1936, Page 14

BAKER PROSECUTED

FACTORIES ACT CASE [from our own correspondent] WHANOAREI. Monday In the Police Court to-day, the Inspector of Factories, Mr. W„ J. Berryman, proceeded against a baker, Christina Barbara Elizabeth Bates, on charges that on April 16 she employed a boy under 16 years of ago in the factory before 7.45 a.m. and that she possessed no certificate of fitness relating to the boy. Mr. Marsden Woods entered a plea of guilty. Mr. Berryman said lie visited the bakehouse at 4.40 a.m. and found the boy working. Defendant had previously been told by himself and also in a letter from the Minister that this section of the Act could not be waived. E. A. Bates, husband of defendant said the boy was the brother of his foreman and physically was a good deal bigger than his 15 years indicated. Witness gave him the position because the boy did not seem fitted for any other class of work. The Magistrate, Mr. G. N. Morris, said he had had several cases of this kind where employment had been given with the best of motives, but that did not excuse breaking the law. On the first charge, defendant was fined £2 10s and costs. She was convicted and discharged on the second.