LXVII

H.—-11

Maech, 1899. Auckland. —An appeal case was heard in the Supreme Court against a decision given in July, 1898, by Stipendiary Magistrate, fining a shopkeeper for failing to grant an assistant the halfholiday. The contention raised was that the Gazette notice proclaiming the half-holiday for 1898 for the district was informal; and on this point the appeal was upheld, with costs. Wellington. —Three cases under the Shops Act: Two against Chinese, for hawking goods on the half-holiday : penalties, £1 ss. and 2s. 6d., with £1 Bs. costs each. The third case, for employing assistant for more than half an hour after 1 o'clock on half-holiday; penalty, 2s. 6d., with £1 Bs. costs. One case under the Factories Act, for failing to report accident in brewery to Inspector ; penalty, Is., with £1 Bs. costs. In December last a case was heard under the Factories Act, for failing to pay employes for overtime work done. The Magistrate dismissed the case, also a second charge for employing the same hands overtime without permit, which was laid, on the plea that permit was valueless since no payment was made for overtime. An appeal was heard during March in the Supreme Court, when the Judge dismissed both cases, remarking that the employment was contrary to the Act, but that the informations were laid under the wrong sections of the Act. Picton. —One case under the Shops Act, for failing to close shop on the half-holiday ; penalty, £2, with 9s. costs. [This case was heard in November, but was omitted from that month's list.] Ghristchurch. —One case under the Shops Act, for employing two assistants on the half-holiday. It appears that the assistants were not employed in the shop, but were working in the slaughterhouse belonging to the same shopkeeper. Penalty, £1, with £1 Bs. costs. Dunedin. —One case under the Factories Act, for failing to register factory. Dismissed, on the ground that the persons employed did not receive any reward for their work. The place referred to is the Salvation Army Home. Notice of appeal was given.