pleasing to many people, as the opportunities given to visit the many beautiful spots in our lower harbour have hitherto not been numerous.
48-hour week granted Wellington: The Arbitration Court today awarded a 48 hour week in the Wellington district hotel, club, and restaurant employees’ dispute. The memorandum attached to the award states that the reduction was strongly opposed by the employers, but in view of the 48 hour week (which is practically universal in Australia as a result of awards and agreements) the court saw no reason why it should not be equally practicable in New Zealand. No more than 10 hours are to be worked in any one day without payment for overtime. Except under special circumstances the workers are not to be brought back after the day’s task is done until after an interval of at least 10 hours. Six days per week is granted and one full day’s holiday per week, with one week’s holiday per year on full pay after 12 months service.
First name suppression in NZ Christchurch: Probably for the first time in the history of the Law Courts of the dominion an order was made by a magistrate today for the suppression of the names of two offenders from the press reports. The order was made by Mr McCarthy on the application of the defendants’ counsel under section nine of the Offenders’ Probation Act, 1920, which provides that if any person accused of an offence within the meaning of the Act has not previously been convicted of any offence the court may prohibit the publication of the name in any report of the account of the trial. The case was one in which a girl, aged 18, and her mother were charged with the theft of two hats from a millinery establishment. Both admitted their guilt, and each was convicted and fined £5 and ordered to pay the value of the hats, in default a month’s imprisonment.
No shrinking violet
According to the Wanganui Herald a masked midnight intruder visited the domicile of Mr T.M. Winiki, boxing instructor, at Midhurst recently. Mrs Winiki was alone in the house, but she had an axe handle by her bedside. The masked individual entered and said: “I want you. You are the girl I have been waiting for a long while.” Seizing the sleeve of the prowler with one hand, Mrs Winiki reached for the axe handle with the other, and brought the business end down on the cranium of the visitor, remarking: “and I want you. You’re the man I’ve been wanting all these days.” The “gallant” staggered back and murmured penitently: “Don’t hurt me; please don’t hurt me!” Then the irate lady went for the mask, but it was made of cloth and canvas, and well tied. The final scene was a very scared man flying for his life across the paddock, with an indignant householder in hot pursuit. — ODT, 22.12.1920.
