ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2768, 11 May 1916, Page 9

ARBITRATION COURT

, COAIPENSATION CASES FIREMAN AWARDED £200 Two"compensation.cases were before the Court of Arbitration yesterday. His Honour Mr. Justice Stringer presided, and the; other members of the Bench were:—Messrs. W. Scott (employers' representative) and 1. A. M'Cullough (employees' representatrve). The case of William James Smith v. the Union Steam Ship Company,.'which hud been commenced somo considerable tiino' ago, 'was finally .disposed of. . Mr. P. J. o'ltegiin appeared lor Smith, while Air. P. Levi appeared tor the Union Company; . Smith was a fireman in the employ of the Union Company, and became entitled to compensation as tho result- of a fall down the stokehold of • the Maitai on January 31, 1915. ' The case had twice previously been before the. Court, and Smith was in receipt of weekly payments of £1 3s. id. until the present sitting, lesterday II r. O'Regan applied for a, lump sum of .£252 in full settlement. ' The Court awarded Smith a Bum of ■£2.00, of which .£25 was to be paid in cash The balance will, by direction of tho Court, be placed in the hands of the Public Trustee. Costs were added to the judgment.

BROKEN' RIB VXD AF'IEE-LFFECTS,

I In.'tho second case the. claimant was [ John Anderson, builders' labourer, while the defendant was William Wilson, contractor. A third party to the claim was tho firm of' Sanders Bros., who'wore the principal- contractors in connection with the building where Anderson was alleged to nave sustained his injury. Mr V. J. 0 Began .appeared for Anderson,'the defendants, being represented by Mr. F. E. Pethericlc. (for Wilson) and Mr. T. Neavd (for Sanders Bros.). Anderson was employed as a builders' .labourer in demolition work at the Government Printing Office on June 18, 1915, when ho fell against some iron piping. It was; alleged that in the fall ho had broken a rib, the jagged end of which penetrated his lung. A result Qf this had been that'ho developed pleurisy and pneumonia, tho illness leaving him totally disabled. Compensation was claimed at ilio rate, of 30s. weekly from the date ot tho accidont to tho time of tho trial and a lump sum representing tho value of future payments. The defonco was a denial of liability on tho <^ 3Um j that defendants 'had no

knowledge of the accident and had no notice thereof. Hearing had .not concluded Inst evening, when the Court adjourned until 10 o'clock this morning. AWARDS TILED. Three awards of the Court of Arbitration were filed yesterday with 85a Clerk of Awards (Mr. U. S. Clark). The award in the Palmerston North engineers' dispute embodies the recommendations of the Conciliation Council, providing for a week of 47 hours, with pay at tho rate of Is. 3d. per hour. May 2i next is Mie dato oil which the award commences to operate, and it remains in force until July Ii), 1917. Tne laundry workers' award binds the parties to the agreement already entered into, but, in view of tho low wages paid in the industry, the workers (have been granted a bonus of 5 per cent, during the period of tho. war. Tho award is to operate for two years from May 'li next. Xii the dispnto between the timber yard workers and the employers, the question ot wages itaa the principal cause of tho parties being: unablo to reach an agreement. The Court's award, filed yesterii 7> PJ m t,le f °"°wins; rates of pay to the different hands:—First-class macbini ' i? S i' 6 i'* per hour; other machinists, is. 3Jd.; first sawyer, Is. 4d.; other sawyers, Is. 3d.; boxmakcrs, 13. 2d.; coopers, is. Jd.; head .yardmen, <E3 ss. per week; yardmen, Is. 3d. per hour; yard labourers, Is. 2d.; casual labourers, Is. 2>.d. I revision is made for employment of youths at rates of pay from 15s. per week up to 355. per week, according to age. A b ° Ims of 10 per cent, is provided for when broken time causes 'tho wages of regular to fall below £2 12s. per week. Ihe Court's preference ckuso is inserted in the award, which operates from May 22 next to November 22, 1917.