ARBITRATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 844, 16 June 1910, Page 6

ARBITRATION COURT.

4 HARBOUR BOARD CASE. "COMMIT ANOTHER BREACH." The Arbitration Court, with Mr. Justice Sim presiding, Mr. W. Scott as employers' representative, and Mr. J. A. M'Cullough as workers' representative, concluded its sittings yesterday. Inspector Newton, of the Labour Department, proceeded against the Wellington "Harbour Board for alleged breach of ■the Wellington Wharf labourers' Award. This was the caso which was before tho Court at .in earlier sitting, when tho Harbour Board applied for an interpretation of the words "as near as practicable" in the clause fixing ihe maximum weight to be carried on a hand truck. Tho Magistrate's Court had convicted the board of a breach of this clause of the award and the board had then applied to the Arbitration Court for an interpretation. The Court preferred that the matter should come bcl'oro it in a different war. and therefore advised Mr. C. 11. Izarcl (who appeared for the Harbour Board) to ask tho inspector to lay an information for breach of award. When the ease was called upon yesterday, Mr. lzaril asked that it be allowed to stand over until the next sittings of the Court in Wellington, as the Wharf Labourers' Union was not readyi Tho inspector acquiesced in this course. In reply to the president, he stated that tho information which he had laid referred to tho breach which had been dealt with by the magistrate. Tho president said the information should havo-been laid in respect of a breach on another date, and in order to do so tho present information should bo withdrawn. Ho asked what practice tho board was now following in tho matter. llr. Izard said that the , board was, on his advice, complying strictly with tho magistrate's decision. They wore anxious to get tho question settled as soon as possible. • Inspector Newton: Then it will be necessary for them to commit another ■ breach. Tho president: Yes. You had better commit another breach. The information was withdrawn. SEAMEN'S AWARD. SUNDAY LABOUR. An application for an interpretation of Clause 31 of the Seamen's Award was made jointly by the Union Steam Ship Company and by the Federated Seamen's Union. The clause relates to payment for overtime on Sundays, and the facts, as agreed upon, were that on Sunday, February 27 last, tho steamer Arahura, in tho course of her ordinary trade, arrival at l'iclon and, after landing mails, luggage, and passengers, • sailed again. Sho arrived at Port Nelson, landed mails, luggage, and passengers, and sailed for \Yi;?tport. As the vessel arrived at and sailed from two ports within tho meaning of the award, tho company contended that each member of tho crew was entitled to the minimum four hours' overtimo for arriving at and leaving l'icton, and schedule overtime to the men employed for the actual timo worked at l'ort Nelson. Tho union contended that eacli member of the crew was entitled to tho minimum of. four hours' overtime for Picton, and in addition to tho same minimum for Port Nelson, making a total, of eight hours' overtimo per man for tho two ports. This would amount to Bs. per man. Mr. Levi appeared for the Union Steam Ship Company, and Mr. W. T. Young (secretary) for the Seamen's Union.

Tho Court, after hearing argument, reserved its decision.

This concluded tho Wellington sittings of tho Court. ' ■