ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2639, 9 December 1915, Page 9

ARBITRATION COURT

WHARF LABOURER GETS COMPENSATION. Claims., for compensation arising out of accidents were hoard before this Arbitration Court .yesterday. Mr. Justice Stringer presided, and with him were Messrs. J. A. M'Cullough and E. F. Uutliie, workers' and employers' representatives respectively. The plaintiff in the first case heard was Frank Girdler Wortly, wharf labourer, represented by Mr. A. AV. Blair, and tlio defendants the Blackball Coal Co., Ltd., represented by Mr. E. H. Eirkcaldie. Plaintiff sot out that 011 April 14, 1914, n-liilo in the employ ot the defendant company, he was struck on tlic head by a coal basket. lie was rendered unconscious at the time, and had since been totally incapacitated. Compensation was paid at the rafo of £1 lGs. per ireek until April, 1915, when tlio payments were discontinued, on the ground that a settlement should be mado by tho Court. Plaintiff claimcd for a continunnco of the weekly payments. The defendants, while admitting the accident, said that defendant, in 1910, While working tho s.s. liotukn, had mot with a similar accident, and that was lesponsiblc for his present incapacity. Tlioy only obtained information of the previous accident in April, 1915. After evidence had been taken ths Court awarded plaiutill! a lump sum of

£100, witli £7 7s. costs and disbursements. FOB THE LOSS OF AN EYE. A claim for compensation was brought by (i minor, through her guardian. The plaintiff was Louisa Junie Hazell, and her guardian ad litem Ivor Hazell, carpenter, and the defendant Stanley Burgess, fmitorer. Mr. P. J. O'Regan appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. T. | Neave for defendant. The statement of olaim set out that on May 28, 1915, •while employed in defendant's fruit shop, plaintiff sustained an injury to her right eye, which resulted in hor losing tho eye. She was taking the lid off a fruit case when the accident occurred, through a splinter rising up and entering the eye. She was totally disabled until August 25, and for that period claimed weekly payments of half hor wages, namely 2s. 6d. per week. From - August 25 till the date of tho trial ehe claimed lOs. per week, and a lump sum for the remainder of the period of liability, or such sum as tho Court might award. Liability was denied by the defendant, on the groimd that plaintiff was not performing a part, of hor duty when tho accident occurred. Evidence was given that plaintiff had been told not to open cases. It appeared that she was sent to get an empty case, and she attempted to remove a portion of the lid from one. Decision was reserved, i