View report page

and a signature taken acknowledging its receipt, so that
should legal proceedings at any time prove necessary, no
possible excuse could be pleaded of ignorance of the Acts'
requirements.
A re-inspection of the premises where a Card was provided
by the Council was made early in the year, and were
Notices were not found exhibited legal proceedings were
taken on the authority of your Council. The leniency with
which our local magistrates dealt with the cases has, I am
afraid, produced the effect of making the shop-keepers less
mindful of their duty under the Acts.
Two summonses were issued against the occupier of No. 4,
Amity Terrace, Coombe Lane, one under Section 3 of the Act
of 1892, for employing a young person for a longer period
than 74 hours, including meal-times, viz., 85 hours, during
the week; and the second for failing to exhibit a Notice
stating the provisions of the Act as to the hours a young
person may be worked as required by Section 4 of the same
Act.
After hearing the defence, and an undertaking given by
the defendant that he would see in future that the hours were
not exceeded, the Chairman of the Bench in dismissing the
summonses on payment of costs said:—“We understand that
“this is the first case of the kind brought to our notice by
“the Borough Council. It is not a bad case, but it is obvious
“that the Act must be carefully observed in both respects.
“In view of the defendant's promise, the Bench will dismiss
“the summonses on payment of the costs of the two cases-
“14s. 6d. and 10s. 6d.”
The same day summonses against the occupiers of the
following shops were heard, in each instance for failing to
exhibit the Notice required by Section 4:—
No. 240, High Street, Merton;
No. 32c, The Broadway;
No. 22, High Street, Merton;
No. 197, High Street, Merton;
No. 17, Broadway Market ;
No. 35, Hartfield Road.
Evidence was given that on the occasion of the first visit
to each of the above shops, the Notice required was not being
exhibited, that one was left (provided by the Corporation),
that at the same time the provisions of the Act making the
occupier responsible for providing the Notice and keeping it
exhibited were explained, and that on the occasion of a subsequent
visit, it was not exhibited.
49