WORK AND WAGES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 44, 17 March 1909, Page 2

WORK AND WAGES.

LAUUIt IXIUX AM) ,MIXISTEIi. AX ANIMATED DISCUSSION. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Tuesday. A deputation from tin; .Furniture Workers' Union had rather 1111 animated discussion with tlw- it'on. A. W. Hogg, Alin'is'ter for Iwboiir. Air. 'Wllford, .M.l'., fxjjlui.it'd that the olli'eem of tin' Jjiiliour jji'p'urtinMit took 11(1'the position tli'at uertain jirovisioiis in tin* Furniture Workers' irwaid Wenill foil (I itt with 'the ,l<'ut'tories -Act and miwt therefore lie operative. The Union liowVver, Jield that the aw'ard was valid alid 'illusi Ife 'maintained. Cmirplai.u Wilis 'made by the deputation thai t lie D.I.C. tlischiuged a non-unionist during slackness of work, and afterwards put tile tAitue,nilun on again w'liile unionists were out of 'work, and that the JVpun-nrt-nt luul declined ask the Court fur an in'tcrpretntion of the award as to whether the in'an. had been discharged. And complaint w'as made that some country employers luul liecn paving fortnightly instead »i weekly. The Union though Wi temviitiim for a lireach

Jf the awSird Sihould lie obtained. Chief .Inspector Ijouius, however, had i stilted that to instruction" were not 1 to a»k for less than a. CIO .line and as tllrat would lie .severe he vould do nothing bevo'nd c'autioinin'g employer*. The ( Miui-tcr, in reply, Haiti he did not think there wart mulch in tlie <-11111plaints. lie did not 'want to see s'uiall niniiui'ueturcm and others unduly hampered in their eH'orls. In. regard to tlie c-.ise of tlie non-unionist who va* sent uKvay for a lew days owing to slackness of work, sunt then re-employ-ed, 'lie fancied that any humane employer having a lihi.ll working i'ur Jiiui "Would In' doing a. great wrong ii he dill not take him jiat-k "when able to do so. The deputation told the Minister that if his ruling was right there would soon lie more unionists'. The Minister said it was dangerous to rush to extremes, lie depreciated | attacks oil factory inspectors who were doing their duty and he strongly urged the men to work in harmony with (iie employers. The Department was doing its best to help unions and he did not think they should seize every opportunity to drive employers before the Court. Capital and Labour should work side, by

side. The object of the De|«irtment was to protect both sides. As the outcome of tile interview' the Minister promised to obtain an opinion from the Solicitor-General 011 tlie following questions: (1) How long does a non-unionist liave to be out of employment befori he is deemed to lie dismissed'; (2) If a non-unionist is dismissei can his employer reinstate liiui in stead of a unionist when there is 1 preference clause?

ARMTIiATIOX OOUKT. j Wellington, Last Night. An alleged breach of the Wellington, carpenters' award, in the oase of Ld Cren, Inspector of A'wards, versus llum-i .phrios Bros., -builders, formed the sul>> iject of a reserved judgment deliveredi liy Dr. McAi'tlmr, S.M.. .to-day. Plaintiff claimed .tit* as a penalty. Till) defendants, 011 Ist October, 11108, it was. iftatcil in the particulars of the roue, e'niployed as a carpenter or joiner Bert lingers, who was not a nienilier of theWellington branch of the Anmlgainnti'd' Society of Carpenters' ajul Joiners' In-'

ditstriftl Union of Workers, when members ot the Union, who were equally qualified as Rogers, .were r:ndv and willing to undertake the w< rk In bo< done. For "the plaintiff tire employment book was produced, and it v.an shown that on Ist (Motor, 10U8, live men had

sigiHtl the books as being >int of can ployment on that dale. They signed as 1 carpenters and joiners. It was also shown by evidence on behalf of the plaintiff that a good joiner ought to be able to do ordinary ft tail' worlt, but geometrical staircasing was a. special

braiic.li. tine of the men 'Who hail signed the ibook on .that date, but who had signed .only tlx a. carpenter and joiner, -stated that he hail mailt' staircases, but in cross-vxaminatioii admitted that staircases required Special skill, anil, thai the ordinary carpenter and joiner in New Zealand did not do stairs. For

the dcfeucie it Vas contended thwl staircase building was a. branch by itself, requiring special training, thin being home out li.v the fimt that it was allowed to be taken us piecework. Two facts, stated his Worship, must -be m.metn'liercd: KirJt, tliat the .men did not enter their names as capable of doing; staircase, worjc; anil .second, that defcndiints did not consult the iem|ploy-' inent book liefore engaging tile nonunionist. In the eircunistanW's of tV case, ,Dr. Ml' Arthur considered the ilofandants were justified in employing a non-unionist to do staircase lniilding. Judgment would ibe lor defendants; but .Iheir right 'to costs was forfeited as. fcliey liad not consulted the employment book.

(leoi'ge I load, tor br< j iK'li of the ptefcrence clause of the carpenters' award, wan lord'ered to pay eosts incurred bv tim union. Head complained that the nuin \w, employed joined the union the' following day. lMaiutill' considered lie. •had Ih'pii poimtcVd upon by the unioih Jiko a eat oil a, mouse.. A charge against dear Meat Co., of employing .non-unionist'* '\V'hen /members, .of the Builders' Trades Laborers' Unioni •were available. wan dismittsed, as the icom'pany "was .not included among the parties to the award. Decision was reserved in the casft against Humphries JU-os., charged with, breach of ithe carpenter*' award in cm* ploying a ;non-unio7iis<t in preference to .capable unionists out of work. It was contended, for the defence, tliat the workluiau concerned was a superior at-, 'listwi whose equal li-ould .not be founds among those whose nainiew were on the union's employment 'Uxik. Moreover, ; th-ei man had resigned from a union be- j cause it 'was run. by a cdiipie of incom» I peteate. I