Manford v. Singh

In Manford v. Singh (1919) 40 Cal.App. 700, the court said with respect to a predecessor of section 203: "The statute should have reasonable construction. Its design is to protect the employee and to promote the welfare of the community . . . . But it is to be observed that the most formidable objection to the statute derives its principal force from the supposed hardships of a hypothetical case wherein the employer is without fault or the employee is guilty of culpable conduct. The statute is not subject to such reproach. It contemplates that the penalty shall be enforced against an employer who is at fault. It must be shown that he owes the debt and refuses to pay it. He is not denied any legal defense to the validity of the claim."