OBJECTION

NZ Truth, Issue 1152, 29 December 1927, Page 5

OBJECTION

Wky The Chauffeur

Departed

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Qisborne Rep.} What with the ohauffeur objecting to bath in the same utensil as Madame's d.og and another former employee talking about the intolerable mixture of marmalade and discipline in the Pyke menage f it was probably not surprising that Jessie Ada Pyke, a well-known Poverty Bay sheep-farmer, came to contest a small wages claim in the Gisborne Magistrate's Court the other day.

THE action itself was a trivial affair only a matter of a few pounds allegedly due for wages — but it provided an opportunity for Richard Harry Laven, who had for three years been driving Madame Pyke round the country as chauffeur, to give his version of how the Pyke farm was managed.

It was an interesting story in some ways, because Jessie may claim to belong to what is called society. According to Laven's story in court, he suffered much loss of dignity before he finally realized that it wasn't worth a candle and told his employer that £3/10/- a week and the honor of wearing her livery were inadequate recompense for what he considered the many indignities he was called upon to suffer.

"She has very rigid rules," Laven told the court.

Breakfast was put on the table at seven o'clock, ana the orders were that it was to be left there — to be eaten as it was found. And sometimes, of course, he had been piloting her ladyship's automobile until pretty late at night. In Same Bath As Dog There was never any difficulty about deciding what to have as food upon which to start the day, because If it: wasn't chops and porridge it was por- ; ridge and chops. There was nothing wrong with that, of course, but, said Laven, he did not like to have to wash himself in a cutdown kerosene tin — especially on such a model station. Even that could have been tolerated, but could any self-respecting man be asked to" bath in the same bath as she washed her dog in? That seemed to be piling it on. And then, as if the mixture , of .manand beast in the same ablutionary vessel were not enough, they had to wash their clothes there as well. Laven was not even allowed to carry parcels for employees in their employer's motor-car, and there were all sorts .of other "don'ts" that became very irksome. He did not consider it outrageously generous for his employer to allow him hot water for shaving whereas the others had to remove their beards as best they could with cold. As a final complaint, Laven men T tioned that the men got tired of heating irons on a shovel over the fire when there was- electric cur- ' rent available.- * They even offered to i "put a meter in and pay for their own "light and heat, but Jessie did not. think this would be g-ood for discipliite. '£££ She had previously- established a rule tnat all lights must be out by 10 o'clock. The upshot of it all was that Laven and another employee approached Jessie and suggested one or two little improvements, but it proved fruitless deputationizing. "The rules were humiliating," said Laven, "and I had sufficient manhood to resent them." So he gave notice. Unfortunately, he chose the Saboatft day for this purpose, when Jessie said: "I don't take notice on Sundays." On the Monday, Laven gave more notice; so did Jessie. "Then things began to hum," said Laven, and went on to relate how his employer had begun to make things unpleasant for him. Settling Up To cut a long story short, he was told tq^rittpye^buk^all he got to take him away wasv£ 4/2/- in settlement, of wages when he^eckoned £7 was due to him. He refused the cheque, finished the job he was on, went to get a meal, but found none for him, and then hired a taxi to take him to town. He wanted another £2/10/- from Jessie for taxihire, as she had declined to return him to Gisborne where he was engaged. So much for that part of the story. Then Laven reverted to a few more incidents in connection with his work.

He was not merely a chauffeur, he recounted. He did gardening, cut firewood, and had to look after all the machinery on the place. Like the old song, the rest of the time was his own.

Jessie had promised to compensate him for looking- after the shearing plant, and when he. reminded her of this she offered him £1. He refused it.

Laven concluded by remarking that it was not unusual for Jessie to have a change of hands. In twelve months she had had eight or ten cowboys, while the tally for three . years waa between 25 and 80. Cross-examined by Lawyer Noel Bull, Laven- said, he had hung on for three years because things had not been bad until towards the end of that period.

Lawyer Bull : What was the real „ cause of your complaint? — The food was too monotonous and not good /?; enough. .. ■' :&%

But didn't you get marmalade for *i£?. breakfast ? — Marmalade ! We got ' so.';j? much marmalade that we began tof" look like it. . .. ■ ■ Raymond Haynes, a shepherd, who . had also complained of the conditions down on the farm, gave similar evi<--'.-. ;.• dence. " . ■■- : Jessie's rules, he said, were so strict that it made him feel like a child. His chief trouble was what he got— or, rather, what he did not get — for tea. For weeks he had eaten nothing but bread and butter, because there was nothing else but cold meat and' mar- , malade. He didn't eat mai-malade, and . cold meat got monotonous. This caused the magistrate to re-mai-k that the young men were somewhat epicurean in their -tastes. Haynes denied that he had left because Laven had. "stirred --him up," The whole trouble was marmalade and discipline. If anyone expected fireworks when Jessie stepped into the witness-box y they were disappointed. / She had declined to accept notice from Laven on Sunday because she . thought it was illegal, she said. r He had been dismissed from her ser- ■ I vice for (a) gross impertinence; (b) " / refusal of duty; and (c) acting in a / way no employee should act to an. em-;-ployer. She denied ruling the staff with & rod of iron, and said the reason there had been 20 or 30 cowboys in three years was that most of them were no good. - It was true that she- had previously paid an expert 25/- a day to ruii the shearing plant, but she thought this . was part of the chauffeur's duties, After further evidence, Magistrate Levv'ey said it all appeared to be a storm in a teacup. - , ■. Laven got his ,£.7 \yages, plus costs, but he had to pay^' hTs ;awn taxi fare, and missed also oh ,a claim for £7 in lieu. of holidays.'.