THE ARBITRATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 100, 21 January 1908, Page 4

THE ARBITRATION COURT.

A DEFENSIVE MEMORANDUM. An echo of the trouble iu the districts of Nprthern Wetland comes in the shapn of 3 niewpraijdiim attached by tlie Ar* hitratiori Court to tjie ijjv'ard wbicji it uiade ou December 1-1 in the case, between the Wpstport Coal Coiupany «u<! thp Grauity Colli Miners' Union of Workers-

It will be remembered that, in lixing the working' hourd of underground millers, the Court had prescribed (hat the working time should bo tlio time at the face. Last session an Act was passed laying doivn as a permanent and unqualified rule that the " bank-to-banlt" principle should prevail. This Act was ill direct conflict with tho award which was then operative. Tho " memorandum" referred to is as follows

" Tho Court ha 3 reserved power to itself to vary ail or any of the provisions of this award in the event of any change being mado by legislation iu any of tho conditions regulated by the award. This will enable the Court, to remedy the hardship that might otherwise resull from Parliament altering, as it has done in s.imo eases, some of tho conditions of an award, while leaving the parties bound by all tile other provisions of the award. The Court has 110 desire to suggest that I'nrlinmeiit should not exercise its privilege of legislating wil-h regard to all or any of Iho matters I hat may be dealt with in an award of I bo Court, but it seems desirable to point out that if an award lixes the hfiiirs of work and wages iu connection Willi any particular imluslry, any alteration in llie hours of work really means an alter: 1tiuu iu wage* iu all cases where the wane ii\ed i.> a daily or weekly one, and that iu [■iieii a case Parliament, while professing 1o deal only with hours of work, is really legi.,. Latin;; with retard to wag.es."