A Leg-Roper Is Leg-roped

NZ Truth, Issue 1148, 1 December 1927, Page 8

A Leg-Roper Is Leg-roped

It Is not as though Arthur George Sandford did not know what he was about and that he was doing wrong. He received warningß from the inspector of factories last year, which apparently he ignored, for complaints still continued to roll m, and at last the Inspector was forced to act. On a recent Friday night he stationed himself outside Sandford's store, when he found that instead of the door %eirig closed at the proper closing time, It was merely left ajar with no hindrance to customers who wished to enter. It was when the inspector saw a Woman push open the door and. walk into the shop that he Intervened. At knock-off time on the Saturday, the Inspector again took up a position where he could observe the employees leave the premises, but It was not till 85 minutes after the scheduled time for closing that the first one took his departure, and then his arms were burdened with parcels. As there, was no flign'of any further departures for some time., and as now nearly an- hour had elapsed, the inspector entered the premises by a. side door, He there found one man about, to leave and another still with his a»ron on hard at work behirid the counter. Of course, various excuses were forthcoming from Arthur George, but the inspector told him to place his excuses before the tribunal of justice. • He did, but they didn't wash. The fact that so many strange

faces have appeared behind the counter of the Frankton Supply Stores has not passed without comment m the junction township, and there are some who say that a grocer's battalion for the next war could be formed out of the assistants who have not found the conditions of employment under Arthur G. to their liking. - A justice of the peace should bo a model, instead of a wretched example, m regard to the observance of the law. After hearing Sandford's side of the story, the magistrate said he noticed that defendant had pleaded guilty to four of the flve charges against him — two of failing to olose at the proper hour and three of failing to give assistants their proper half-holiday. Lawyer Webb, for defendant, said his olient did not think it worth while to quibble over the matter, as the offences were only technical. The Magistrate: I should think a justice of the peace would regard it as something more than a quibble to have a conviction against his name. In fining Sandford 20/- and costs on each of the four charges' to which he had pleaded guilty, his worship remarked that employees must be given their proper time off and defendant must close his shop at the proper hour m order to be fair to other traders: And there is much joy m Frankton over one sinner doing penance,