Strong Warning in Excessive Hours Case
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SAYING that he would not take any drastic action, but would let the proceedings stand as a grave warning, Mr. J. Farad-ale, Yorkshire Licensing Authority, concluded, on Monday, a case in which a concern of haulage contractors was required to show cause Why its licence should not be revoked or suspended. The case arose out of a number of convictions under the drivers' hours regulations, and the company concerned was Henry Long and Sons (Manningham), Ltd.
Mr. J. L. Windle, for the company, said that although the convictions in question, which were recorded on December 21 last, related to a number of instances in which drivers were alleged to have worked excessive hours, they all arose from the same set of circumstances and the evidence was founded on the record sheets that the concern had kept.
Mr. Windle said that, originally, one of the directors, Mr. F. Long, himself saw that the regulations were complied with and that all the drivers' tinie
sheets were filled in and checked regularly. In course of time, however, he had to hand over the supervision to another and so lost personal touch. Furthermore, he said, the drivers had been paid on a time basis, and it was natural that when a man could put in an extra half-hour and get paid for it he did so; there had been no deliberate intention to break the regulations. It would he a terrible penalty, he said, ir the concern's licence were suspended, for it had already paid £57 in fines and costs. The company gave an undertaking that nothing of the kind would occur again.
Mr. J. Farndale remarked that, although the convictions were recorded on one day, they covered a series of breaches of the law extending over months, which would not have occurred had there been adequate supervision. He was afraid the company did not appreciate the grave position in which it was placed by allowing these time-sheets to be in the hands of a mere clerk.