USE OF MACHINE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23954, 2 May 1941, Page 8

USE OF MACHINE

NOVEL POINT FOR COURT AWARD RULING SOUGHT Whether or not a certain duplex adding machine is a "book-keeping machine" as mentioned in the clerical workers' award was the point at issue in proceedings before the Arbitration Court yesterday. The inspector .of awards (Mr. G. Brown) claimed against the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company (Mr. North), for an alleged breach of the clerical workers' award. The breach alleged was employing a female worker on a duplex adding machine without paying her the 5s extra weekly prescribed for females engaged on ledger-posting or book-keep-ing machines.

Mr. Brown expressed indebtedness to the defendant company for assistance in bringing the proceedings, and said the question of penalty was a minor consideration. It was admitted that the machine in question was not called a book-keeping machine by its makers, but the department submitted that the work this girl was doing on it was part of the defendant company's system of book-keeping. She prepared, in effect, the daily sales journal. .Air. North said it had not been shown that this girl was engaged either on a ledger-posting or a bookkeeping machine. A representative of the makers of the machine gave evidence that the machine was not capable of doing bookkeeping work. The Court reserved its decision.