ARBITRATION COURT

Hokitika Guardian, 17 December 1924, Page 2

ARBITRATION COURT

E X(.’IX KE RI XfS PKLT ALI STS. AUCKLAND, December 10. At a sitting of the Arbitration Court this morning, Air F. Harter, secretary nf tlie Amalgamated Society of Engineers, at Auckland, said that, as a result of the publication of a statement in the newspapers, in which Air Justice Frazer was credited with saying that many of the immigrant engineers arriving from Britain we to specialists, and not all-round men and. therefore, should he granted underrate workers’ permits, he (Air liartcr) had received several applications for

such permits. Mr Justice Frazer said that, so far as lie knew, the papers had reported him correctly, Imt in Wellington there was ajip.irently some misunderstanding. What he had said on the West Coast was that many of the engineers coming out from Britain were specialisls, and did not have the all-round general knowledge required of engineers in the Dominion. Unfortunately, New Zealand 11.-id not reached the high standard when specialists were required lor every branch of trade, hut. so lar as lie could see, there should he no objection to a man who was a specialist in one particular line being granted an under-rate worker’s permit until such time as lie bad extended bis knowledge.

" Nobody for a moment suggests it because trade might be- slack,’’ added bis Honor, "or that they should he allowed to work at cheap rates, but simply that these specialists should he paid what they are worth until they get the all-round knowledge necessary here." When making an application to have the firm of Armstrong. Whitworth and Co. made a party to an award this morning. Mr Sutherland, secretary of the 1 1 onuinkers' Union, said: " I can’t see. for the life' of me, why Armstrong. Whitworth and Co. want exemption. If they are granted exemption every employer in New Zealand could npnly. There are any amount of men in New Zealand able to carry out lln- work and comply with the exist-

ing awards too.” Messrs Armstrong. Whitworth and Co. arc* contractors for the Arapuni dam, and have entered into an agreement with the New Zealand Workers’ Union, an unregistered body, in which it has been agreed that overtime rate's are not to he paid until a week’s work of forty-eight hours has been put in, whereas various Arbitration Court awards provide for payment of overtime rates after forty-four hours have boon worked iti nn.v one week.