CHARITABLE ACT

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 214, 19 August 1931, Page 5

CHARITABLE ACT

Breach of Award Charge Follows Press Association.-~Copyright, WANGANUI, To-day. Four charges of breaking the Private Hotel Employees' Award were brought in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, against P. Wright, occupier of the Kingsway Private Hotel. The charges were that he failed to pay a woman weekly wages, that he failed to allow a worker one day's holiday a week, that a holiday book was not kept and that a time and wages book had not been kept. Mr. Cohen explained for the \ defendant that the women, in respect of whom the charges' were laid, had been staying' at the establishment and had nothing to pay board and lodging. Mr. Wright had allowed her to work out what she owed him, thinking that he was not bound to treat her as he did the other employees. "It looks to me as if the defendant's charitable act in allowing the woman to stay with him has involved him in a breach of our industrial laws," said Mr. Salmon, S.M. It was not for him to say if the industrial laws always worked fairly. In view of the circumstances of the case he would view it as a technical breach only, and enter a nominal fine of 10s.