LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 52, 30 October 1915, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

j A local in the New Plymouth Daily ; News tliis morning refers to the ill)"riess of 'a".Stratford school boy named llivett, and suggests a ease of ragging or brutality at the local school. On seeing" this "par,' DrV Steven, who'"is attending.the boy, rang schoolMuse this -afternoon,' te'lfing* Mr Tyr'er that the suggested rough usage in the school grounds had" nothing 'whatever to do with the boy's sickness, and that he (the Doctor) had already made that plain to the boy's parents. ' We regret" to state that Mr Tyrer, headmaster 'of the local School, is somewhai seriously ill. Being a bit run down, lie had' arranged "with the chairman of the Education ' Board, to have a few'days' holiday' during the week, with tiie object of visiting his son in Te Kuiti. Qri Saturday last, however, he was attacked by influenza of a malignant type, and is still con* fined to'his lnVi medical adviser states "'he will probably have to remain for a few days longer. We wish him a speedy recovery. The Auckland Motor Car and Horse Drivers' Industrial Union of Workers are endeavouring to create a "dispute" in Taranaki, and have cited many New Plymouth firms, and quite a number of Stratford employers also, to appear at the Council of Conciliation, ' New' Plymouth,- on November 12th. The document issued is a curiosity,.in that it seems to have included a large proportion of carriers and liv-ery-stable, keepers who have been in business' in the .past in this town. Some of them, alas, are no more, and few of those cited are now resident in Stratford, if they are still in the land of the living. On the other hand, singularly, the people who are carriers or employ carters, and who would, 'of course, be bound by any agreement which may be arrived at in the forthcoming meeting of the Council of Conciliation, are not asked to appear. It will probably be news to some of them to know- that somebody has discovered that "an industrial dispute", has arisen between the Auckland Motor Car and Horse Drivers' Union of Workers and—very many residents of Stratford! The following are a few extracts from, the Union's demands:—A 47* hour week, - Wages ftp - those driving or attending oneHH?rs'e : £3 per-week', .for those driving two horses £3 6s per week, for those driving-more than :two .horses Is per day .extra for each additional horse. Drivers required' to attendhorses outside the" hours prescribedday to commence at 7.30.a.m. and end jat 6 p.m. on five day si of. the week, and 12.30 p.m. on half-holiday—shall be paid for such work j..at ordinary rates, in addition'to the weekly wage. Employers shall!be at liberty to employ youths; above the age of 18 years to drive not more than lone horse, at not less'than the following wages : From 18 to 19 years, £1 15s per week; 19, to 20 years, £2 2s; drivers above the age of 20 years .shall be paid the wages laid down for fully paid drivers. The number of i youths so employed shall not exceed One to each employer, firm, or company employing one fully paid driver and one to each complete six additional fully paid drivers. Nine holidays 'to be recognised. Drivers, ordered hack to. work after, tea shall receive a minimum payment of 4s A preference to Unionist-clause:• i 8 also inserted.- t t 4 ..'",„ .