ARBITRATION COURT PROCEEDINGS IN AUSTRALIA

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 33, 20 October 1911, Page 6

ARBITRATION COURT PROCEEDINGS IN AUSTRALIA

..tttlK'UilJNU DISPUTE. WSiat can i'*o Fay? Alter dbjcnsßing other ''niraicT:? i.ii ' connection with the 'proceedings'in 1 lie Australian Arbitration'- C*n;rt in - the ■ •heavers''dispute, Mr. Kely!sa'.:i-:.i.-h'.::'L came. U: the mat-. tor of rat<:. : .i. Ho .se:-,l k, v,;ni!d h<i r-> cessai-y to t-on'.'-ider gee. cm by all tho facts .bearing upo.ii the e'cupnliem oi" a shearer— -"his phteo in the' ir.dusti i:*l world, tho "elasr> of labor- fiee.i which $ie Avas draveu a>ud tho classes to which he rot-i'.i'v.ed v.iu.-;i" shea: i:ig was over. The rccfpond-cn'tii hr.d admitted ■the ability of tho .pastoral industry to pay any rates fixed by the ceurt. b:»t that did not say that any rates should be fixed <that were - re.0.0 than a fair wa°"o. . .Ilia Honour: I agree wi'.u you there." Mr. Duffy: I am »«'' "goJiig to suggest anything to the cc^'trary. MY. Kolynaek then wert On to argue that in lixiii.g wages the:.;•<;•.:; t oif.uht to fcako into eo'iSHh:'.' - :'tior- the fact that tlio in dust was liable io slieklei: tfha*ig<*s of fortune, &: - ij ti'.«i' while in

good seasons it might very -easily be able to pay high rates, yet in droughts it could not do so. His Honor said business people clid not alter their rates because of bad seasons. ; : ' ■ ,' !' : . Mr. Kelynaek co.nte.uded that they often did. They -had tb do so "in order to do b\tsiness. His Honour: All you can say about it is that there is more strain of competition in getting' custom,- but .a shopkeeper does iiofr reduce ■ his price because his customers "arc poor. Eight Bob. a Day for Shearers. Mr. .Kelynaek: SJiearers came from the class of gcuietral 'laborers —not skilled workers. vWheri engaged in those 'other occupations they got 7s a day cr 3()s a week. .It/ttoolt: a very .short time to learn shoarin,g. everything .into consideration, the shearcvr was not entitled to rri.ore than 8s a day. His Honor:'Then.,you think that £2 Ss per week . n.et for three or four months of the.year would be enough to attract men , ' to gb yip into the backblocks, through drought and flood and hard work even" in the travelling, losing the time :inVAvhiciv they could be making money, and. simply coniinmg themselves to the time- they are in the- shed. ■--■•• ''"_"'■ Mr. Kelynaek : The shearer's position is so much 'better' tha'iV" the gem-ral laborer and that of" many others in the community that there would be. ample men available for the work. His Honor; .1.!:' you. take 48s as being the remuneration- for that class of labor you have not-the least chance of making mc. accept it. Mr. Kelynack* said he was there for the purpose of arguing 'that to his Honor, and with his Honor's permission he. would show what- consideration led him to the conclusion that 8s a day was sufficient.:. ,lf these men stayed at home they would only earn 7s a day, and tho extra , shilling was sufficient for the skill in shearing. ...As for the travelling, that should 'only be at the lower rate. . His Honour , -: l> knew '&l'Karrister who had to accept. lahvJtring work when he was hard up. . ; Y.au,,waukl say that if lie were .sent out''"'£o\lndia'to ' take up a case he should , revert-to his laboring pay during the travciiin*|/'- :- ----"It wou!d Rtfirt ••■ih-is I, 'lndustry." Mr. Kelynaek continued to argue for a. rate that would bo calculated to bring the s.hc-nrer in B.s ,n day. His Honour said that lie would be'loth to do anything to injure the great pastoral industry, and., he- eoitJp-v-ilot co-nceivo of Anything that, .would injure it more than to give a rate that .would not attract men out- 't> th: The pastoralT'st-r; wYftiM , and dry. No men w-.v.tl-i. g o. oyA, .to got £'2 8s a week. 'M'iVjV ] '.', 'th( vi-"'7C;:ltp.lt;ons HOW because "they t-otrlt]- ! nu*k:» isac money, not because job. It would mii.i 1 ]■■;■;indnsiry to fix the rate suggested, l:v respondents' • Mr. Kelynaek ? I' must , put up my argument, and I hope it will'influence ,-your Honor , s mm.d. ""i.His Honour: I shall listen to you, but I will certainly listen' to you with sorrow. Mr. KeJynnck: In that ,cose I shall argue with"'sorrow. ; V '' " J-J is Hon 6vn*f;aid. counsel • was wasting his tim-o- puttuig- -ja« absurd , argumc nt, and miirht dist-uss something more useful. " . V /. ' •"■:■■■ - : " A Scab Barrister." Counsel continued to argue for his coaitoution. "•■"''•• ' ,;; '- His lionoiir: You are trying to shift mc> to- r.n -imposg-iblq ..place .when you sp?ak of 48s. lam so • very eager to hr-ar yea upon the matters which do present a ■ difficulty to ftiy niind that f feel you arc not doing yourself justices . _■ ' ... ... ......... ■ Mr. Kelynaek...: Of. course, I must put , the view of my clients. His Honour': 1 am , vcrV nnieh surprised if 'they put 4S's as thei.r ideal for a .shearer-?; [.:-■-■ !; .- ■ ;-. : ■ .. Mr. Kelynaek went».on to say that a shearer .g>;>t part-ioularlyl. , ' good pa\ r for titf>"actual tirne'liD wdS'vrorkuig. - -His Honour''said the. actual itime of working was 'of', no' .-'valtK , . A man might ba,- f.?iio" to.■ plant the British flag on twelve mountains, in the .Antarctic regions, and the, actual--.time taken, in planting the Hags might he. !uUf a«. hour each-.. .Mr. Kelynaek-argued;that a shearing expodition -was a very pleasant tiling. }\.'.} sakl that a lj:i"m"ster who was making £.300 a year would d ; o- r.ll Hghi to take a trip• th.at >vould ; pay all his expenses aiKi giro him £6 a week,if thcj'e was only coo "weok's work to d : o at the end of th.o tfii) 'for thut "•'■pav. , Hifi Honour/-How long will he be away? :.w -,-■' ■•■•.•■ Jlr. K-elynack : Say nine months. -.- His llonou! , : I ■ sh-U!.t : M-'> s-riy'-he was a sell) rbarrister, ..to- t.vko it. ■ ; l\'v. Kelynaek said t!;o • r-ttrrciive-.;ie of a c:;lli.!.i:g was when a man c-oivH cxit'ji, in . a i'ev,- ~hours' tivriC, e-n- ----| v»it-g.;i to-gv\c him a over en cx-[:-:-ri'io-'.l. -. . - .::/■.;-■ ;

I , iiiwMiMiiw»«m...i,uuiiaiM ■ i ---■■■-- ■• ■ - Reports from, Australia iterate that th<-ro is general, dissatisfaction with Arbitration Court's finding in the A.AV.U. recent case.-. ..'". In oVipcsii:;.;..thn New Zealand Transport "Workom , '"Fed' , ratio it proposal. "Nautiln;* ,, does in o:■«.<■" to avoid .Uu> workors and other iuiioi:s boi.'ifi' .side-(raffed from-;v nations.! com-biji-ation of all uviiorn wliich is tukinjr rspi'J sha}>'> in t:^." , N.Z.F.L. It is stirprisii?;-;' to' j'skv- to r/h&u - ir.diiHtria! Qnicnisis' s'spportinfjc tnu.'h a spurious j)i , oi>!j.sj*l, sooiiip; i-hat it-is , dirnctly .op-. : ])O.xvA to * iho; Unionism. Tljyro'. aiv- t.«0.-n:an c y iV,<>ri>in fit thy tiiX'Seist (inio Wi'lhou-i croErtir.g further divisiWsi. '