ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2414, 20 March 1915, Page 5

ARBITRATION COURT

COMPENSATION CASES

CLAIM BY A FISH-CURER Several compensation cases engaged the attention of the Arbitration Court yesterday, when the bench was occupied bv His Honour Jlr. Justice Stringer (president) and Messrs. E. F. Dutiiio (""Ployers' representative) and ,T. A. u gh (employees' representative), J ho plaintiff in the first case was Duilo 1 lcclu, fish-purer, of Wellington, tlio defendants being tlio Hawke's Bay FislierlUPanJ'i Ltd., fish merchants, of Wellington. Mr. P. J. O'Regan appeared for Picchi, while Mr. T. Nenvo appeared for the company. In the statement of claim, it was set out that Picchi, while in the employ of the defendant company on November 18, 1914, was engaged in cleaning and chopping fish at 54 Courtenay Place. During the course of this employment, a noxious germ or particle of deleterious matter came into contact«with his left eye, and set up therein a septic condition, a® a result of which Picchi was totally disabled for a period of ten weeks. In addition, Picchi sustains! a permanent injury, the sight of his 1 r-ft eye being totally and permanently destroyed. His wages at the tin'" occurrence h*d £3 10s. per truck, and in respect of the injury he a]p. a ['imp sum of £230 10s. end «•••*• !!!;; "V—»» =«. romnlotc denM t liability, the defendant company mu "'t j'.wmi no injury in the course of his employment. After hearing evidence and argument, the Court reserved 'Vrv"in". An adjournment was ordered in the ease_ of Charles Johnson, labourer, of Ngaio, v. M'Arthur, Milliken, and Co., Ltd., of Kaiwarra. It was admitted that there had been an accident arising out of the employment of Johnson, but medical testimony as to the permanent or partial effects of the accident was conflicting, and His Honour was of opinion that, if an adjournment were granted, more satisfactory evidence would be forthcoming. Mr. P. J. O'R °gan appeared for Johnson, while Mr. T. Neave appeared for the defendant company. STRUCK BY A SLING OF CARGO. While assisting to discharge cargo from the Huddart-Parker gteamer Ulimaroa on April 29. 1914, a waterside worker, named Alfred Jansen, was struck by a sling of cargo and seriously injured. A result of the accident was that he proceeded against HuddartParker, Ltd., yesterday to recover compensation. He alleged that the accident caused severe injuries to the hack and other injuries, and that he subsequently became, and has since remained, totally incapacitated from work of any kind. His wages at the time, of the accident were not less than £3 2s. 4d., and he had been on half wages sinco the time of the _ accident. He sought a lump sum in lieu of the weekly payments for the remainder of the period of liability. The defendant company denied that Jansen's injuries had caused permanent and total incapacity, and said that, in respect of his partial incapacity, he had received full compensation. Mr. P. .T. O'Regan appeared for Jansen, and Mr. T. Neave appoared for the defendant company. Lengthy medical evidence was called on both sides, and was conflicting as to the probable duration of Jansen's present condition. The case was adjourned until the next sittings in order that the Court might be able, to better deal with the claim. Mr. O'Regan suggested the possibility of an agreement being reached in the meantime.