ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3021, 7 March 1917, Page 9

ARBITRATION COURT

The Arbitration Court held a short sitting yesterday, whon Mr. Justice Stringer presided, and with him on tho lionch wero Mr. \V. W. Scott (employers' representative) and Mr. J. A. M'Cullough (representing tho .workers). Tho Court was asked to extend the Duncdin felt-hatters' award so as to include tho hatters in Wellington. Mr. Haymes, of Dunedln, who appeared in support of the application, said it had been filed because tho industry was small, and thcro wero not enough men ongaged in tho industry in Wellington to permit of tha formation of a separate union.

Mr. W. A. Gronfoll, ore behalf of the employers, opposed tho granting of tlio application on tho ground that for such an application to succeed a condition must bo that a majority of ths employers engaged and tho men concerned in tho industry throughout New Zealand were parties to the award, according to a decision of Mr. Justice Cooper, givon when President of tho Arbitration Court. Ho went on to point out that thero was a great shortago of trained men. The majority, of tho employees in tho National Hat Mills were in the First Division under the Military Service Act, and tho company would ho obliged to tako in unskilled workers and train them. According to tho statistics furnished by the Labour Department, there were 23 male ai:d 4 female employers engaged in tho hat and cap industry in New Zealand, and tho number of workers was 68 males and 164 females. There were 29 hat and cap factories in New Zealand, of which five were in Dun- | edin.

« Mr. Justice Stringer said it was quite clear according to tho Act that the application could not succeed, for it had not boon proved that the majority of tho employers in the Dominion were bound by the awards. Tho application was refused,