15

H.—ll

Dunedin. —(Factories Act) : J. S. Douglas and Co. were charged with employing a second-year apprentice without paying the annual increase of 3s. provided for by the Act. Defendants pleaded guilty, and were fined 55., with 7s. costs. In this case the firm had given the increase of 2s. 6d. as provided forUn an agreement in the trade, but it was admitted that the Factories Act must override the agreement. October, 1905. Kawakawa. —(Shops and Offices Act) : J. H. McMasters was fined 55,, with 7s. costs, for failing to close on half-holiday ; and 55., with 17s. 6d. costs, for working assistant on same day. Auckland. —(Factories Act) : Phincas Samuel Ornstein, baker, was fined 10s., with costs, in each of two cases —(1) For failing to register his factory ; (2) for not keeping his yard clean. (Shops and Offices Act) : Peter Franchi, restaurateur, was fined £1 10s., with costs (total, £29 15s. Bd.), on each of eleven charges for working assistants more than fifty-two hours per week, and for not giving half-holiday. One shopman worked 116 J hours in one week ; and two waitresses worked ninety-six hours, for which their wages were 12s. and Bs. respectively. (See full report on pages 987 to 989, Labour Journal, November, 1905.) Wellington. —(Shops and Offices Act) : H. W. Lloyd, jeweller, Fook Lee and Wong Shee, storekeepers, were each fined 55., with costs £3 35., for failing to close at 6 p.m. on four nights of the week. For same offence Ah Gee was fined 10s., with £3 10s. costs. Wong Some and Co. and Sing On Tie for same offences as above, were each fined £2, with 7s. costs. Mrs. F. Langdon was fined 10s., with 17s. costs, on each of two charges for working assistant more than fifty-two hours per week. Two other charges for employing assistants more than nine hours per day were then withdrawn. (Factories Act) : Wing Sing, laundryman, was fined 55., with 7s. costs, for failing to register his factory. John Morris, picture-framer, was fined £1, with 7s. costs, in each of two cases, (1) for employing a boy under sixteen without a certificate of fitness, (2) for not keeping a record of persons under twenty years employed by him. Dunedin. —(Shops and Offices Act) : Dick and McKechnie, drapers, were fined 55., with 7s. costs, for failing to close shop at 6 p.m. Auld and Co., drapers, were also fined 55., with 7s. costs, for same offence. William Roberts, grocer, was fined 10s., with 7s. costs, for allowing his carter to deliver goods on half-holiday. Invercargill. —(Shops and Offices Act) : John Burke, firewood-dealer, was fined 10s., with 7s. costs, for selling goods on half-holiday. November, 1905. Auckland. —(Shops Act) : Charles Horatio Morris was charged with failing to close his shop, in the Arch Hill Road District, on the weekly half-holiday. The fine imposed was 55., with 7s. costs. In this case the shop is on the Arch Hill Road District side of the street, while shops on the other sids are in the Auckland Combined District, and, as such, are compelled to close at certain hours during the week not required in road districts. The weekly half-holiday is, however, the same for both districts, and it is for failing to observe the half-holiday that the fine was imposed. (Factories Act) : Robert C. Gray, tailor, was indicted on two charges of having failed to pay female workers for Labour Day ; penalty of £1, with 12s. costs, on each charge. Mrs. Glover, laundry-keeper, was fined 165., with £1 6s. costs, on two charges of employing two females on Saturday afternoon after 1 o'clock. Gisborne. —(Factories Act) : Appeal against decision of Stipendiary Magistrate in which Robb Bros, were fined 10s. and costs for failing to register factory. Refusal to register was on the ground that they did not employ any labour. (See June.) Appeal was dismissed by the Supreme Court. (For full report see Labour Journal, December, 1905, p. 1042.) Mangaweka. —(Factories Act) : William Henry Poad, sawmiller, Utiku, and R. A. Gower and J. H. Grice, sawmillers, Ohingaiti, were charged with failing to comply with section 31 of the Act re the punctual payment of wages. Fined 10s., with 7s. costs, in each case. Robert A. Gower and John H. Grice, were also charged with breach of section 17 (failing to keep time and wages books), and were fined 10s., with 7s. costs. Kimbolton. —(Shops Act) : D'Arcy Ford, draper, and H. S. Munro, manager of the Manawatu Auctioneering Company, Palmerston North, were charged with selling goods on the Wednesday halfholiday. Defendants hired a hall for the purpose of auctioneering the goods, which hall, they contended, did not come within the meaning of " shop "in the Act. The Stipendiary Magistrate ruled contrary to their contention, and Ford was fined £3, with 7s. costs. The charge against Munro was dismissed. (For full report of the case see Labour Journal, December, 1905, page 1043.) Masterton. —(Shops Act) : William Cragg, hairdresser, was fined £1, with 7s. costs, for failing to close his shop on the statutory half-holiday. Dunedin. —(Shops Act) : Messrs. Toddand Brown, drapers, tailors, &c, were charged with failing to close their shop between the hours of 6 o'clock in the evening and 8 o'clock in the morning of the next succeeding day on four days of the week. The Inspector said he believed that the breach v/as due to a misunderstanding of the Act, although defendants had been informed of its provisions. Defendants admitted the facts, and were fined 10s., with 7s. costs.