ARBITRATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2001, 7 March 1914, Page 14

ARBITRATION COURT.

HUSBAND'S DEATH, WIDOW CLAIMS FOB £513. Sittings of tho Court of Arbitration were continued yesterday. Mr. Justice Striugcr presided,' and, associated with him as assessors were Mr. W. Scott (employers' representative) and Mr. J, A. M'Gullougti (employees' representative).

The hearing of tho compensation claim in which Afttonia Nicholson, widow, of Martinborough, was plaintiff, and Walter Francis- Gundrie, of Martinborough, was defendant-, Was continued. Mr. T. Jordan* of Masterton, appeared for plaintiff, and Mr. A. W. Blair for defendant. Plaintiff sought, to recover £613 in respect to the death of her husband. . It- was alleged that the cause of death was » poisoned hand. The injury had been sustained while deceased was in the employment of defendant.

Annio Brady, domestic servant, employed at Mnrtinbo-rou-gli, stated that sho had been with the Nicholsons in May, 1913. ; Deceased camo home on Friday, May 16, complaining that his baud was sore, and added that lie had run an awl into it while at work. Great pain marked the .subservient course of tho case on Friday and Saturday nights.

Mr. Blair stated that. ho proposed to call medical evidence with a view to. showing that it was impossible that deceased could have been in agony within a few hours after a- mere prick from an awl. He proposed to show that deceased had been' otherwise injured. Walter Francis' Gunctrie, saddler, of Martinborough, stated that he bad met .Nicholson on Thursday (May 15), and tho latter had toid him that ho had hurt his hand through, a stack of Wood falling oa it. Airs, Nicholson had afterwards' asked witness what ho was going to do in tho matter, and ho (witness) had replied thai she* had better seo the doctor.

James Webber, employed by tho defendant, stated that ho did net hear anything from deceased on tlm Friday or Saturday regarding any injury by an awl. On tho Monday deceased had worked till midday, and Tiad told witness that he was going to stack sofa© wood. Witness next saw him at about 8 o'clock, on the Wednesday mortiing. Deceased then told witness to inform Mr. Gundrie that he bad hurt Ms hand.- He (deceased) stated that a piece of wood had fallen.: on it on the .Monday. -Witness again saw accused on Friday, May 16, 11)13, at the shop* and deceased then told him that fie was going to the Hospital. To Mr. Blair: It woiild be impossible for a right-handed persoa to 'injurehiinselt with an awl in tho manner contemplated in -the claim, James Mowlem, bush contractor it Martinborough, said that ho knew deceased very well. He had.seen! h-im in' a hotel in Martinborough on tho*Tttes* day of the week in whicn ho died. wiV ness noticed that deceased had a finger wrapped up, and inquired what was 'the matter. Deceased replied that he had been injured by an awh Witness next saw him on the Friday at the same hotel, and his hand was still wrapped up. He (witness) again inquired what was. w'rong., and: deceased ihen replied that he had been stacking wood, and a splinter -had run into tea hand, and that,ho was going to the iios> pital. Deceased added that "tiniorttiiiately, the accident had not happened in the boss'B time."

James Clark Whitehead, oontraeto-fr of Martinborough, stated that deeeasest had told him that the injury had been caused by stacking wood. Dr. Ernest Giesorf stated, ia reply to a question by Mr. Blair, that discounted the theory that deceased could have been sutieritig - agony under tho' circumstances alleged h\ piaintitt's case

"A very, extraordinary case,"' remarked Mr. Justice Stringer,-at the coitordsion of the evidence, "we wiii have to reserve judgment."

THE PLUMBERS. t SIDELIGHTS OK THSTEADE. The hearing of tho plumbers 1 dispute, in which a Dominion award is sought, was continued yesterday lnorowig. The applicants for tho award were; Tho New Zealand Federated Plumbers' aaid Gasfitters' Uniou, au-d the respun-denta wero the New Zealand Federation of Master Plumbers. The . employers wero represented by Mr. W. A. \V„ Grenfell. Mr. R. Breen, of Dunedin, appeared for the woxkerSj and, asspci-, ated with him wero,Messrs,,J. €lar,kj of Auckland, and '#„ Swmdoilsy et'.Kwensbourne. 1 . ' Collins A. Pearce-, mas-tejf plumber, of Auckland, gave evidence on behalf of the employers.' It was imperative, ■he stated, that tho* plumbers should he classified. Thero wore at present two distinct classes of wo.vkers in Auckland, at two distinct minimum wages.. They were liablo to loso business if the. overtime rates wero made too high. Alexander Burt, jmu, of the firm of A. and T. Burt, stated that the firm employed fifteen plumbers in Auckland, Niuoof these were receiving fi-ages above the minimum rate, and two considerably above it. His firm had never looked <m the minimum wages- as their own maximum. If the demand- of the- workers' that the minimum wag© fof all hands bo Is. 6d. per hour were granted, he did not think it poss-i'blftto incrcasft tb.a wages of tkoso who were at. present actually receiving Is. 6.d...per hour. In his firm's Auckland branc-h there Were only two unregistered men. Ho always strove to get registered men, as they gave tlie most satisfaction. ' To Mr. Grenfell; In his, opinion tho colonial plumber was a better all-round man than the English plumber. Thos. Ballingcr, managing director'of tho firm of T. Ballinger and Co., Ltd., Wellington, stated tSat' there was the greatest difficulty in getting plumbing hands here. There Wero no hands at all out of work in tbe city. Gbniinuilig,, witness said that he was sure thai granting Is: 6d. per hpur as 1 a minimum wago would lead to dissatisfaction. It would probably lead to placing tho registered plumber and eertifieated' plumber on the same level,

Tho secretary of the Wellington Plumbers' Union was i'-ccalled by Sir. Breon. Ho stated_ that there were 120 members in the city belonging, to the. union, and 210 in the whole district. : To Mr. Grenfell: There wcro 11 good and practical plumbers out or work at present. Fifty per cent, .of the- 'men belonging to the union had beoft out of employment during the laiv two yoara. Mr. Grenfell challenged this statement. Ho contended that, as the union's book was not produced in Courts the evidence of the -see'tetapy of ft© Wellington union should not carry weight with tho Court In summing up, Mr. Grenfell said that as to tno question, of hours, the employers thought it desirable that there should bo some/elasticity; they should not be bound to start and cease work at the stated hours. Mr. Grenfell quotod the Sydney award in support of his statement. _In that city the ha:rd ajjd fast rulo of'hours had been found unsatisfactory. In touching on tho other demands, Mr. Grenfell remarked that the. workers' demands -as to overtime were while- the question of carrying materials was objected io altogether. As to wages, there shotdd bo somo recognition of (ho certificated man. Ho also desired to bring, before the Court tho case tf'hors' workers were near their place of employjncht. Such ■ employees should not be allowed travel- i ling time. Mr. Grenfell spojso at some length on tho quesiioii of apprentices.

lit regard to work, wo present system was unsatisfactory. These you Hi 3 were constantly in tho &tniospbero of Socialistic talk and talk of awards, etc., and such gavo them an exalted idea of 'their positions, "I am satisfied, and Ijavo information to bear oui_»y wOTtls," snict Mr, GronMl, "that this prevailing dis» satisfaction among apprentices with employers is duo to this typo of conversation going oa amongst the workmen.'.' Mr. lirccn also addresses! the Court at considerable length on behalf of the employees. Decision this reserved.

OTHER BUSINESS. THE CARPENTERS' iDISPUm The carpenters' dispute camo beforetho Arbitration Court yesterday afternoon. Mr, W. A. W. Grciifell appeared on behalf of the Wellington Contractors' and Builders' Industrial Virion of Employers, and .Mr. <i. Blatierwick for the uaion.

Mr. Biathcnvick stated that the "workers were prepared to accept the D'tiaeejin award as » Wellington award. Mr. Grenfell, on beßSlf of tho employers, stated that they wero prepared to stand by t-lift Dominion agreement. If not, they would accept minor alternatives to it. Ho asked that the dispute be' settled) as it had bean settled, by tho parties, concerned', at WellhfgtOri. It Iras unfair,, ho contended, that the. best items fee given to the employees and tho w-arst to the employers. Mr. Blatlrerwick remarked that it was the first time thai an award had been, altered by the- Court to the benefit of the workers-, and it was quite proper to stand by tlio Dunedm agreement. "Wo want," ho said, "to retain this advantage altered for us by tho Court."

Mr. Bennett, on behalf of the Builders? Association) stated that, since- the Duuedift award had been made, they had received many.bitter complaints. In Wellington they meant to stand by tho agreement mado by the Conciliation Commission*

Mr. GrenMi applied for exemption from the award for tho Wellington Woollen Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Exemptions wero also applied for the Wellington Harbow Board (except that the same- rate of wages be paid bv the board a$ ordered by the Cbartf," the Wellington iPatent Slip Ce„ t'h-o Wellington City. Council (desiring an alter* atioii in oaie part of thd award in regard to tho suburban work), tho Wellington (Jas Co., S. Wood" and Son. shipwrights, and the Hospital ana CharitaWo Aid Board-,

Mr. Blatherwiei objected to all these' exemptions. Exemptions always caused dissatisfaction. In regard to the applieation of the Gear Co., he said that that, company had s-peut £60,000 during tie- past- twelve, months on huifdinga while it engaged, en an aTerage/ tiveiity carpenters. EMr. Lodder (hiaiiftgef of the- Gear Co,) replied that- tho £60)009 had bee<n spent on building in brick and mortar.] Regarding tho Patent Slip €o\'s application, Mr. Blatlierwick also strongly objected. '"That's what caused the test strike," he said., s 'their failure to pa)' travelling lime." Mr. Moriarty asksd tfcat a certain d'.'iuso be inserted in t'-w isttf ~ which tni'ght do aflrfly with cousid-eraWe ftietios-.

Bis Honour asked Mr. Moriarty to submit a typewritten application, and it would ho' considered.

Tho Court rose later till 10.30 this ; fflotniiig. 'i'-ho ooachwo-ricers 1 dispute, which was sot down for hearing yesterday, was postponed till Wednesday morning.