TOO MANY BOYS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18192, 13 September 1933, Page 7

TOO MANY BOYS

EMPLOYER FINED PROSECUTOR CRITICISED (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. A penalty of £1 was imposed on'A.. E. in the Magistrate’s Court Tlw a breach of the grocers’ assistants award. The inspector of awards claimed a penalty of £lO, ’alleging that Chamberlain employed in his shop two youths and only one senior, whereas the award Stipulated that there had to be more than three fully-paid senior assistants before two youths could be employed. Counsel for the defendant said Chamberlain engaged the second' youth mostly for the boy’s own benefit. When it was r’ ted out that this was a breach, of award he was willing to dismiss the hoy, but an inspector told him to retain the boy until he heard further • from him. Later, Chamberlain’s brother took over the management of the shop and the inspector drew his attention to the fact that he was employing two boys when he was entitled to have only one. His brother saw Mr. Wakelin, the district officer in charge of the Labor Department; and Mr. Wakelin advised him to keep the two boys until further notice. If there was a breach, it was only a technical one. (‘ft'-ieems a great pity that employers trying to help youths should be harassed by this class of prosecution,” said counsel.

Mr. W. F. Stilwell, S.M., was satisfied that a breach had been committed. H® said he was somewhat disturbed by the admission that had one of the boys been paid as a junior, on the assurance of Mr. Wakelin, no prosecution would have, followed, even though it was still illegal to employ two boys.