ARBITRATION COURT.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17119, 14 April 1921, Page 4

ARBITRATION COURT.

I YESTERDAY'S SITTING. The Chiiatcliurch session of the Arbitration Court was continued yesterday.' His Honour Mr Justice Frazer presided, -with hini being Mr J. A. McCullough, representing the workers, and Mr W. Scott, representing tho employers. DECISION UESEKVED. _/ In regard to"an application by Miss. Coombs, proprietress ot the Henrietta Cake Shop, for exemption from the bakers' and pastrycooks' award, his Honour said the Court would reserve its decision until it had heard a similar application which was to come before it in Gisbonie.- • / BONUS CHANTED. The Court granted the 3s bonus to musterers, drivers, and packers. "The granting of this bonus," the Court stated, "wr.s opposed by tho employers oil the ground, that they were suffering from the adverse conditions now affecting the industry. Tho bonus, however, was duo on Flovember Ist, 1920, when these conditions wore not so acute*.and its granting has not been opposed' in Otago. Tho Court, therefore, has decided to make the usual order." ■ { LINOTYPE MECHANICS' AWARD/ . ! Tho Court mad© an award for linotype I mechanics. Tho hours of work were fixed at 42.»" week. Tho following wages were fixed: First year, £1 a week; second year, £1 30b; j third year, £2 ss; fourth year,. £3; thereafter, £5; head mechanic, if in charge of eight or ! more machines, 10s'a week additional; head mieohanic, if m charge of twelve or more machines, los additional; night workers, W per cent, above these rates. Overtime to be at the rate of time and a half for the first three hours, double time thereafter until the ordinary time for beginning work* Employees required to work on Sundays, Ch" 3l " mas Day New Year's Day, and Good Friday to receive double rates, and. on Labour Day time and a\half. On© week's holiday m each year, on full .pay, to, b© granted. Theoper- ■' . aiion; .of'-the award I ;..is; restricted to Clmstchufch. "It will operate Irdm-April 25th, 1921, till April 25th, 1922. ' LOSS OF AN BYE. -Timothy Keohane, of Lytteltoh (Mr 0. T. J. Alpors) sued the- Blackoall Coal Company (Mr J. H. Buchapan) for compensation on •account of an accident on the Ngakat&-.«n '•■ January 24th last, while on a., voyage from Newcastle to LyHelton. • ~.._, ' In his statement of claim plaintiff set , forth that ho had been employed by tho d«- | fendant company in the Ngakata. As a result of s6me dirt or ashes entering his left eye the sight was permanently destroyed. Witness was earning £4. 7s a week and found, equivalent to £6 7s 6d.. . t • Plaintiff gave evidence to the- effect..that he had met with an accident to his, left eyesome ten years ago, when on a voyage from America to Sydney: He was-operated on in Sydney Hospital, and the- eye got better. Witness served in troopships during- the war his eyesight being passed- by the radical officers.' He had not had any trouble with his eye until the accident which led >o the claim before tho Court. . To Mr Buchanan: Witness did not tell Dr. Manning at tho hospital that he had .been blind in that eye for twelve months. Evidence given'by Jeremiah 0 Brien a. fireman who was working with plaintiff on the vovflge when the accident occurred; J. Stewart, captain of tho Ngakuta; and J. Flaherty, chief engineer of the vessel, was read by "the president. . Dr; L. S. Manning, honorary ophthalmic surgeon at the Christchurch Hospital, stated that,' when plaintiff was -admitted to the; hospital, his left eye was in a very bad state; there was no sight in it Witness wag informed by plaintiff that.he had beet,i Itad in the eye for a year, cn& that he had been operated on in Sydney some-ten yeara previously for traujiiatio cataract. Witness diagnosed the case as one of degeneration of the interior of the eye, due either to plaintifi :*_ operation in Sydney or the after-effects of the injury which necessitated the operation When plaintiffs eye was removed witness • had it opened, and found that the retina, was completely detached. This was consistent with plaintiff's statement that he had, beenWind for twelve months. His sight mitot have been permanently impaired, by his first accident. ~ , ~ Mr .Buchanan said that his clients would not have defended the claim had riot had good ground for doing so. Plaintiff 8 eye had been injured some years ago, and h© had told Dr. Manning at the hospital tnat hi* trouble was an old one. .. His Honour -said the Court would consider tho matter and give judgment later. , A SLAUGHTEBMAN'S FALL. Archibald Henry Neale, a slaughterman residing at 26 ' Smollett street, Sydenham, ' claimed compensation from the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, Ltd.. his- employers, for injuries received as the result of an#acciderrt on Juno 24th last.* . ; Mr J. H Buchanan appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr H. 11. Loughnan for the defendant company. ~_,., Mr Buchanan said that plaintiff, while employed at the defendant company'-works, .fell from a height of thirteen or fourteen feet, injuring Ids side and head. Plaintiff was a very strong man, and managed to "carry on" at his work till December, when he had to go into tho hospital. At the time the statement of claim was filed, on December 23rd, it had not been fourid possible to diagnose plaintiff's complaint. Since then it had been found that he was suffering from a disease of the blood called spleno-medullary leukromia, as a result of'which there was an excess of white- corpuscles in the blood, causing an enlargement of the spleen. Up to the timo of his fifll 3feale was a healthy man, and it was clear that when he fell he received a, heavy blow on the spleen. Xeale was a tremendously strong man, and, although he was not really fit to be in Court, he had made an effort to come and give evidence. Plaintiff gave evidence' regarding his accident and subsequent physical condition. Dr. F.. V.. Bevan-Brown stated that the disease which plaintiff was suffering- from was a very rare one,. and very little was' known about its cause. Authorities ascribed it to one of two causes: (1) an obscure infection; (2) an injury. Several- authorities had noted the frequency with which this disease followed an injury. There were two kinds of leuksemia, rapid and chronic. Plaintiff was- suffering from the chronic kind. In witness's opinion plaintiff had The disease prior to the accident, but tho accident accelerated its j progress. To Mr Loughnan: Doctors' did not see the disease in its earlier stages, as people who had it did not notice, any symptoms until., theij. spleen had grown to a very large, size. The spleen was very vulnerable, and any accident to it would cause great pain. Dr. D. E. Currie gave evidenoe in. corroboration of that ■ given /by. Dr. Bevah-Brown. Plaintiff, he said, had' a friable spleen before tb,© uccidont. An accident of the nature ha had suffered'would be likely to cause enlargement of the Bplccn and hasmorrhagc. I ■ Mr Loughnan eaid that the defendants'

claimed that tho plaintiff had been suffering l from the disease before the accident. •Dr. B. W. Anderson'stated that it was probable- that plaintiff i,ad had the disease at tho time of the accident. It was difficult to connect the acceleration of plaintiff's dieeaso with his accident. The extent- of his injuria V, tr "£!» and !» apparentlv suffered no shock. There was no evidence that plaintiff had Buffered any great pain. Witness did not think the accident did any injury whatever to plaintiffs spleen. Dr. John Guthrio also gave evidence The Court reserved its judgment.