ALLEGED LOCK-OUT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 804, 27 January 1910, Page 3

ALLEGED LOCK-OUT.

AN INTERESTING CASE

Dannbvikkk, January 26. A case of interest to sheepfarmers was called on at the Court to-day, when the Inspector of Awards for Hawke’s Bay claimed from Mrs Franklin, a sheep-farmer from Titree Point, the sum of as penalty for an offence under Section 5 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act, 190 S. The following are the particulars of the alleged offence The defendant being a person bound by the Wellington Shearers’ Award, dated April 4th, 1908, did, it was alleged, on November 4th, 1909, employ seven shearers, and, further, on November 4th, 1909, did lock out the said shearers, and thus become a party to a lock-out in the sheepshearing industry in the county of Weber. For the prosecution it was alleged that the men refused on more than one occasion to shear sheep because they were wet; that defendant’s son said to the men : “ Either shear the sheep or take your cheques.” The men took their cheques. It was contended by the inspector that the action of Franklin in giving the alternative to the men constituted a lock-out. The magistrate declined to decide the point off-hand, and evidence for the defence is being heard tonight, The question is whether under the award the shearers were justified in refusing to shear sheep because they were wet.