ARBITRATION COURT

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 27 May 1901, Page 3

ARBITRATION COURT

(per press association.)

Dunedin, May 24,

The Arbitration Court sat all day yesterday concluding the hearing of the boilermakers’dispute. Justice Cooper intimated that the Court would hear the Metal-workers’ case before giving an award. Justice Cooper leaves for Christchurch to-morrow and expects the Court to resume on the 6th and sit on until the Otago business is completed. The moulders’ dispute was also mentioned. It was stated that as federation had taken place the award at Christchurch and Auckland should bo held over till the disputes in Dunedin and Wellington had been heard. Justice Cooper, in granting the application, said it would be better in the interests of employers and workmen when dealing with a trade with branches in every centre, that the Court should have tho evidence from each centre before it so that a standard rate of wages might be fixed. He did not say the standard would be the same for each centre, but they should fix in each centre a wage that would be just to the workmen and employers. Ho would point out the advisability of federating all branches of tho trade, so that tho Court should have the whole of the material before it for the whole Colony. The Court could discriminate between various places. The hearing of the boilermakers’ dispute occupied the rest of the day. The Court will sit to-morrow and on Saturday. The President goes to Christchurch to complete the criminal sittings there, after which ho will return and the Court will resume.