A LABOR CASE

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1485, 20 June 1905, Page 2

A LABOR CASE

UNIONS MEET WITH REVERSE ! AT LAW. By Electric Telegraph—Per Press Association. Received 9.22 p.m., June 19, Sydney, June 18.

The High Coutt hat disposed of the long-siandiug dispute between the Trolly, Dairymen, and Carters’ Union and the Master Carriors’ Association. The Carters’ Union eppoaled against the judgment of the Stats Full Court, which deolarod invalid tho preference clause in tho award made by the Arbitration Court. • This Clausa required tho master carriers to give beforehand notice to tho union when work was available, in order that if there were unionists willing to take it they might obtain 'work. The Carriers’ Association appealed against this clause to the Full Court contending that unionists were only entitled to preference, other things being equal, when they and unionists applied together for employment There was nothing in tho Act which empowered the Arbitration Court to order a master to give such beforehand notice. The High Court, in dismissing the appeal, rested th 6 judgment on tho general ground that there was no implied power in tho statute which authorised the Arbitration Court to eko out the direction imposed by a section of tho Act by giving an additional one. The Coutt was aware of no principle known to law from which it could bo inferred that the Arbitration Court could give aDy direction to employers to give notice to ono set of persons or another before they proceeded to exeroise their common law rights of engaging anybody they saw fit.