WAGES OF BARMAIDS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 555, 9 July 1909, Page 6

WAGES OF BARMAIDS.

AN) IMPORTANT CASE'. (By Tclcßtntll.—Special Correspondent I Auokland, July 8. What Mr P. Earl described as a caso or supremo importance to hotel keepers came beioro Mr 0. 0. Keltic, S.M., jesterdaj in his jurisdiction midor the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. Iho defendant, Willuin Stnnpon, licensee of tho City 'Hotel, was prosecuted for paying a barmaid at tho rato , of lfis. a weak, instead of 255. a wpok ae prax-übed by tho award, lho award ill question is an agrodmciit having the force of all award, whioh has entered into just before tho last local option poll eomouhat hurriedly. Mi. Bail biiiffiestea tliat in many respects tho award required to bo read wifcb considerable imagination 1 llc-.c, for instance,'is ono clauso. "Barmaidfl, £1 lii.; piobationers, for flist sis months, £1"' r hothor these wages are wookl.v, oi whcthei, as Mi. Ketllo jocularly the pool probationei was oiilj to got £1 loi sis months' work, is not mido. clear. Mr Earl did not suggest that barmaids should onl> rcceno £1 6s for a month or six months He did, hottc\er, Eoriously suggest that in the absence of any defining odieetue tho Court uas entitled to niteiprot whether tho wage provided foi ivas & minimum cie oi not. Mo stated that the , Msxd had gneil so much tioublc that sev» oral clTorto liad been made to have a confeicncc about it LoflMlig this point, Mr. JiJarl state<l that evon it i!SB. a weoK wero tho minimum w'igo for a biimnid under tlio award, ho would submit tint there wai no breach, beeiUM, as a nmltei of fact, the flirl wliom Ins client was cliTrged with un(ierpa'yinp \\.i*> not a. Inrmaid &ho was,a housemaid, and wis pud necordum to the clauso of the a\.ard that precciincd that if female se-nanU wore kept thev could ba classed as generals, and paid a minimum of 15s. per week. Tho only rclieicd Thursdaj in ono of the \n\i when the harmaid was off for tho nceklj halMiolidayj lho position «us ft scrtoiw ono for hotelkeoprtis, beca-use it mvohed tho question whether the\ would ha\o to duplicato their stilts in ordoi to let the barmaids off for the wceklj hnlf-hohd-n Mr Bail contended that occasioml'ielipwng woik n\ the bar did not nifke a general barmaid Mr. A E Skeltou, who appealed loi tho prosecution, said the facts wcio not quite as stated bj his fnend 'Iho gill ww omployed m tho bar on Wedtiesdi\ ind lhurtdaj afternoons nnd o\cninu;s, and on kitur- ' c\ OfiiiHßb It was a dolibeiatc and persistent breach of tile award. Counwl ultimatch apeed that a ense should be stated for die Arbitrition Court, tho MigisttaM ronsidoniiß that was tho proper tribunal to interpret tho award. J.'J, Cnrtie and Co, 6lnpping, fonrardiiij?, and Customhoufeo agents, fon.aril.fiirmlUre aim parcels to 'all parts' ot tho Dominion. Yo(~ can alw nj s rely on prompt. uud careful Ao Irenes. Telephone !)• Customhouso Quay Uoderato charges. G)3 H you nro contemplating remoMng, tlio firs tlilnp you should do is obtain a quntallon fron J. Koir, 70-78 .lorvois Quay. Jl* has had luanj years' cxpcricuco In (his class of nork, and i<; in a position td paek, store, and rcmove anj description of furniture Ho also clears gooai through Customs, and dispatches packages and parcels to any tddross in tho world. Telo pbeno No. 1180. ' C&St.