ARBITRATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 152, 21 March 1908, Page 7

ARBITRATION COURT.

WHARF LABOURERS', DISPUTE. i The sittings .of thp : 'AWit"rati6n.'Court at j Wellington were'resumed yesterday, morning, ' Judge Sim and Messrs. ,S. Brown (employers' : representative). and- 'J.-A.' ; -jM-'Ciillough (workers' represeiitalivc). taking'their seats ; at 10.30.o'clock. The hearing of tlio liirf Labourers'itlis- j puto was continued. -Mr.- D; JI-'Larf-h, .secretary -of the Wellington. Wharf. ( Union; Mr. li. 'F.-AVay,.;seQretafy/Auckland;,,! Wharf Labourers', ~Union ; and Mr'/-T. -King- | appearing on behalf of the - Union zaii'd /Mr.' J. F. -ICirby representing, tho;.;Uni6)iv.Ste»nv. .Ship Company, Mr. Nicholls .• 'ingt-on Harbour, Board, and Mi'.; W._ Pryor ' the local and foreign-gonig : shii/joivrie'rsi 7 1 Additional evidenco'/was/given .'.bn.Tbelialfof the/Union'. '■ }r;;//"yi},} «' Mrs. Godfroy stated tliat-her husband, wliq. : is at . present indispqseSj" had. earned' 'average £2 16s. per weelc'iri ;summcv;;'and ! £110s. weekly in.winter. I :'Their'fkmilynum< bere<l three/ Other niOneys had .Jiad 't<j; he drawn' on in'order tqlruiec.t ■ hqusehbld""c,X:, ponses, which averaged'about' £2 Rents and the cost , of''living'}h'a'd in'cl'ea'sed during the ."past' threo years: >\--:<".d/- t Mn''--> .Cross-examined, witness stated"that Mier r husband had- not ibeeM'.'ftcatßT so well as other workers in .the...fl\atter/pf,,,rec,ciyingwork. '■-/ ; ,: :'i/; ■■ . K. F. Way,, secretary/to. 'the'' Water'side' : • Workers at Auckland,'''also' gavc/'-bvid6nce.'-7 ■' This 'concluded the-caspv.forUheiUnibni/., 1 ; CASE FOR THE Wi ; :•.' " / '/ : COMPANY.; •:'; : _Mr:. J. F: Kirby outlinedvt.he-.cjas?;for;,tl>e-Union"Company.- • >110 TOought /tTiaty'-thji-; : Union had not made out their Tlje" Union wished amendmeiits" : inade- r t^s22 : of -U!ib - 28 clause? in tlid present' airaudidEnik'aSEeib the Court to omit 'tho other •'sis'iplawsflj';^},-,: add niiio -moro. On' tlvp t ,fltligj^hand,/' tji.p Coinpany.: wanted • only twp.' alterations - .made, to tlie .existing rclatiiig: to t-lie rato. for handling pMcargo' aiid' 'tho' ptlier . under tho heading ''outposts;'' /Soirio of,the ; evidence brqught"by. t^p„Uriiqri-in support/of; their claipu showed €l(at H Jio' material altera-, tions in the.con<Jitioijs : .qf "iv'tirk .liail taken place'. since, tlie '!-wis .- niado. 11 ' .He might lnentibn tli^;comp_ared r> wiAh 1903,f the volumb -.of: • ' port-of Wellington ;by w cpipi i ijy;'ltt i st , 'yesf:" showed an inereaso of>7S , fl^;;jicnK , ?'vlft J qiie" -week in' October,'loo3,-'" hisi;cbmpajiys"^idj : i\. wages £003, whilst in flppi-jyoek' invO.ctphPj'ji.. 1907, the .wages list !tutalied. £1_179. ' submitted that tho aniourit' : of,: wor^; ! hjiq".J)i r -'. creased in. proportion ,<infßUef volume of business/; Duringi^tlihilyearairidpdi Soptember 30, 1907, 1 from }200;},tq".§50,.; jrveii-; had; been ,'employed^i?jl£j)yj\fe : coal 'workers. The. t'qtiil.< quantify,''Jift'spaf; handled on belialf of/hisi company at'WellMigitpn. ' during tho'-year ended i^ept«mhcrisi[).o? l i was' "422,207 ;tdns, v »3f(iount f rpiiidby his company .to-coa} < year, .was- £30,597.-; Tl)b * proposed" increase .-in; the, rates of handling iB./'idC'-'and; 2s.' "id.': to ' . Is., 6d'.-i!-i'oa!kli:>?.''2s'i!' f-Bdi; would' mean'- .' to-■ ! y-hisr,.i^cipany ; v -Vr inereaso . in .-/•wages.£o'fi-}..;17;-k^ ; or £5201. ,Tiie tota} quantityiof cpal handled; ;iri the. popp during, yeai; ia-qiiestioii; Wais" 545,499. tons;-. At pf pay were higher jfor! ,a,: .;qf coal,the'.: .total", quantity, of/coaf tharidlecl year; was' dnly. ,137>9001%n5; ;:whlfch '• work was not- so as in "\VcHiugton.;;lri}Aucirlaiidpwh;eroh.iglrer! rat^s,'wcro;'also'.paid'jfgi - -}iapdlJp;Vcgalj :piife 109;601 ';tons ;; .were'f-handle3'.; la'stv'yean ■-jAtj ' Dunedin and Port Chalmers: conibm'ea- v ' l 'tli,e J .'Unipp' Company handled ifp.all;t33!;foo^n6?iit- ■ coal. As " a whplbj. . would. iiieari; ari v ;iucreivso Viii'; '£7000 peiv annum VtQ'j'liis;;:'c : otupaiiyi/..,-:Tlis;' proposal. ,for,;'ai.. halMioJidOiy i.ojf-Saturdays 'fq> "all classes: of, labour/was:- , ;atrongly i 'ppposed: •' 'by tho ;it half-holiday "iis extra t'pay-fq^-j Saturday/afternoon,: tK^'l^^s'inen^Wfinte^i;, ■ Vessels,had ;tq| bo got nway i :to;''time,' , :a'nd;.tlifl; ■ ■ meii -' would" iiave'!;Vtoi;;l)o;/eiiiplqyed. /■;; jho; ! . ■ proposal- for rajps 'hotf wages/for handlfit^cemebt;.vliiue,-' manure",'l' ■ -and'shalo 'Was'iunroaspflabl^.V'iThcrpyyasiipt;: ■ -a very considerable'- quantjty'/'pf, .these :• terials handled'!at • i j)ut.>,if.j.J.he J proposal -were adopted ia'Mly"6f»'ihS>gudnti"ties of. oach.pf}tlipsc cliissbs', of hahdled:, , -!wduid;:have^to/be;-Iceiife^The^pyqijbs^ , moil employed on 'wprk;,in-,the.strea:m .slimiM . ' bo', paid, up till tlio' timb/.pf}return to.itlib; wharf' .would lhban, £975'.'.t0' /his}',coinpany.:i ' The . demand-,that -tho,.mpn shbuld}:))e- paid.', from-'the' timer, they/ -were ' "engaged '/w.as.J ' strongly : opposed}. In .the; opinion of . tlio; company payment shoiiTd' udgin lrom tho tinio | of ; commencement, of work.; ■ When Hho wharves wore' extended-,"a-"- hiaJt ? ' irilght\'- bo'} required to walk from- a-'inilo: to: two 'jmlcs from tho place '.'of ' engageraerit-v'tq ,'thp plsße'.j whoro lie/was roqiiifcd :to" ''work;.".' 1 '-'/.//j Mr; Brown (tho employers' representa- 1 tivo)': AVoiild it'nbt'he},bet, toy ,if therohverp 1 j moro places pf .engajjemen't ■}•'• : : : Mr'. ' Kirby:,; There';-is-" a'-, hecaitso, v | sites arp so valuable. .. }';" 0

■ Continuing,- Mr. 'Kirbj[ statedHhat if; nine holidays wero ' granted, it ;.wmildH causo, dissatisfaction among tlie only' sovon 'holidays;, in maud; of. tlie liien 'for 'a.'vf'sinolid!J.; of .-'tiyenty minutes was objected to; by' tlio' cpnipaiiy j; i £; was' asking really ; to6."#iuchv.;" : , would; not agree to; •wbrkmbn'-'^ioulav'.taUa^'bfdm'VJrr^OT^ 1 tious; from any < thaiiraftrflcogr! niscd - foreman 'or''thei'p^^rsj r ja.'.,i^ts^Vw, ; .vessels. • Tho claim;■for.;. prefq.i^ii(i(S; > ,ivas' stroiigly opposed.'.,lii 1 Auckland,'where ;.7QO\ men wero .required, tli'e'rb.' were. 1200' mem-, bers in; tho. Union: "therb were, not-, perform the work'.:--. ' :Ur',y Mr. Way' (ropr'cseutatiye. Worlfors afr Aucld'aiitij'.'C gjuntod v at'- AubWand? . piembers, in tho .Union" •'.' _• ' •' Evidence "on", behalf Tof tlio givo'ii by. John'-, Pohliellj'j-isuperiilteivilcirt. bfrepairs for 'the 'company John' Cnrrie, cargo foronian for the U.S.Si .Company; Jasl' Smith, head . fOremaffbVei'. . tho coal •workers in- thorempioy-rof. the .•'.company;' Charles Harbottle, fpr; .tho Company; and Eu'stacd AT' M"au3', ;clork in the employ, of ..tho"' Cbmpanj^ 1 ! r } .

CASE FOR OTHER .SHIPOWNERS ; Mr. rPryor, ..tho of tho interrcolonijil.; ao4if^jgß^bj|ik''4l«|i :: 'V •pwniers, did., ijot., addrtJ.SS^ f " urt/bujt^ .calkxj .'ovjcjence,'.. ' • ; ' r •\", l . v 4 v-' >■ Alf. Scott, ', manager .'lbf "t-lib ",...Wairarapa, '.Farmers''-! stated; that there.; had ,bCen-®'aq£icalli? ,• noiincrease!; jn.-'.'the :pricp pf fopdstuffg'- durii}g..tlio -pastj fivo years. . ~ S. • Stidolph, i.shop. .ma.nager'; fpr ~t: h o. Goar. Meat Companyj : risen in. pripo iii .'\V^ii^#V.?i^''.J^!Q3^^ l , Additional ..byjdencp' was .gifpii'}by :!jPefeV_' .ProWn/ihoad '^pvedoro r fog^6^(^ 1 Shipping Company j'.Wffliaiif. .stbvoiiorpj -Shaw.' •Company;. Neil Galbx J^it.hi''! \ , 'd^Stiyrftatit*';i!ir. tho New" Zealand E. Fuller," shipping ; ; Co;; and Matnias Segriolf,, cQil : "fpre'niaii"tx)r' ! the Shaw Sa'vill; "CASE FOR TIIE HMlBtiTOl Mr: H. B:-i NichoHs,' for the Harbour Board, ,i sta-tedyiinteiv aliavtliat the Board- had.-L.aliviiys, ;oi£-.itsi:.oWiv.' liiotirin; ' approached' ioft wagiav anil lioiir3 of labour with':a''sjni'it"of fajnicss'/ It objected to - tho proposed ratb' for .handling-in the g.asiS;,;.q£,;oeJnonti JinißJ'. niaiiuro, an'd;shale.■; Thfijpiip&al:ibr:ait'.additioii to- tho..number «was'ialsff opposed. : Thcro .opukl.j bOB-aiOu:q'u<)6tionl>ihßbj that 'frequont>hplida}:ai.o);i{ruc,tbd£.»!fti'lj' on:tho wharf. : A .'£l6>s' to tho Tho;olai'ni'rffpr- , :a.*'!',4'Siiibko?.' was- also ''objcctod • to.--;chief .objectioii: ■to tho demands "of"-' tlje- : <Unipu;' 'tpiiS-irtheii'-' rigidity; it was all'tako'oil tho part of'tho Union, and no givo, . -It- had boon ; stated that tho system'of payhi.9ll.ti ; wages in vogue by tho Board, was. oftote: but ho. would lik'o' to point out that 1 tho Board was not like a privato, cmployer.'T gepilig V.th.it its accounts wore I subject, to; Goyornniqut.' audit, a receipt, must bo, obtAUi'ed ibr; pvbi'y ":paynient. No' hardsljjp 1 wis'; 'suffered, by . tho workoi's.. liy" reason of tlio: Board's''managt' mbiit' in regard, 'to thowbight^-f<itt>tr'tfftkiiiis.*-I'rcferenco tb unionists : ;i>-ouldi<;bo';bppbspdf' as it' had. 1 not been Union' was. ablo ; ' to ;c!rtO'r amount' of work' which; had -tb-lib pdrfoYmeSd - ;.: Tho 'liiembershipl'of th'o fUuipn-in; Debombofi' 1906,"" bfebiijiSlsertSl!

inuring'. tho hearing' of the dispute that-the" number' of members was' now about 1000. That was not nearly..sufficient, i; Mr. M'Laren:: Tlip employers themselves state that only I'2oo' arc 1 required; •• ■ Mr. Nicholls: That estimate is much, too low. ' I should say;. 2000. } ■. ,Continuing," Mr.' Nicholls stated that if the Union could guarantee to keep tho work goiiig, it.might bo. reasonable to grant- profereiico,.;' Then, again, it was submitted by/ tho 'Board that-tho award should riot apply" to allV wharf labour,' and that tho ' proposed clnusoito'tho fcfTecfc that tho workmen . no^.tiikp: orders from-otlior than recognised 'foremen,and.ships' officers was. unreasonable, '-i/.Evidence was tendered by A'. Munro, assistant secretary -"and wharfinger- to. tho Bo,ard j David J. .Gibbs, clerk m tho,employofjjihe-. Board; V. L. Cashemaillo, ;assistant: secretary 'and- treasurer. .Tlip/'Cpnrt--intimated that it would' take time ..to. consider, it's /decision'.", 1 ' '•>/ ■ / ' ■