TE ARAI ESTATE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2071, 4 May 1907, Page 3

TE ARAI ESTATE.

Press Association--WELLINGTON, yesterday. The Compensation Conrt will sit at Gisborne in July to fix the price to be paid by the Government to the Hon. Mr. Randall Johnson for To Arai estate, of 10,000 acres, eight miles from Gisborne. A recent mail to England conveyed a notice to Mr Johnson of the Government’s intention to acquire tho property under the Lands for Settlement Act.

WORK AND WAGES. Press Association. SATURDAY HALF-HOLIDAY. AVELLINGTON, yesterday. The AVellington Trades and Labor Council passed a resolution approving of the action of the Minister of Labor in compelling the observance of the Saturday half-holiday provision of the Factories Act, and regretting the fact that the provision was allowed to lie dormant so long. AUCKLAND TRAM WORKERS. ' AUCKLAND, yesterday. Tho Auckland electric tramway workers’ a implication for a new award came before the Arbitration Court to-day. The men demand a general increase of wages, to bring them into line with other centres, a minimum payment of eight hours wages daily, and minimum wage of 24s,weekly for casual hands, who are, they say, too numerous to enable them to earn a living wage. The company make a counter proposal to the Court to adhere to the conditions of the previous award.

AUCKLAND TRAMAVAY STRIKE. AUCKLAND, last night. The hearing of the. charge against the Electrical Tramway Company of breach of award in connection with the last strike was resumed this afternoon. For the defence, Air. Hansen, managing director of the Company, stated that prior to the trouble in November last ho had never received any notification from the men that they did not consider it their duty to teach learners. The President said the court was satisfied that it was partly the duty of motormen and conductors to teach learners. Charles Francis Alexander, traffic manager for the Dunedin ■tramways, said that if he had received such a letter as that received by Mr. Hansen he would have got the men into his office, and if they had refused ‘to go on teaching learners he would have dismissed them. This closed the evidence. Air. Cotter, in addressing the court for the defence, urged that there had been cause for dismissal. The gravity of the case lay in the fact that the men acted in a body and not individually. Had the men of a vessel at sea done a similar thing it would have been regarded as mutiny. Unless the employers had the right of dismissal in such a case they would he powerless. The Hon. J. A. Tole will address the court to-morrow morning. The case against the men will lie taken on Monday. • The dispute was adjourned till Tuesday next after several witnesses on behalf of tlic union had been examined.