FIRM FINED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21959, 10 May 1941, Page 6

FIRM FINED

Failure To Reinstate Territorials Magistrate’s Comment (P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 8. The failure by D. P. Fisher, Ltd., piston ring manufacturers, to reinstate two employees at the end of their Territorial military service resulted in the conviction of the firm by Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., who, in a reserved decision to-day, commented that in one instance, the defendant firm attempt..! to punish a young lad whose only fault was a keen and commendable desire to make himself an efficient citizen soldier and that, in the other instance, had attempted to discredit a youth as a workman in order to evade responsibilities under the regulations. The first instance, said the Magistrate, called for a substantial penalty and he imposed a fine of £2O and also ordered payment of six weeks’ wages at'32/6 a week and payment of the costs of the information. The lad, T. K. Needham, was a volunteer member of the Territorial Force who was ordered to report for mobilisation training and who applied for reinstatement the day after the completion of his military duties. He was told that the matter would be considered and was later Informed that the firm would not reinstate him. In the other case, a fine of £lO was imposed, together with three weeks’ wages and costs. The Magistrate remarked that the fact that a man obtained employment at a higher wage three weeks after discharge from Lie Army did not minimise the defendant’s offence.