THE SLOW WORKER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 324, 25 February 1910, Page 8

THE SLOW WORKER.

j UNION GETS A JACKETING. In Sydney -last week Judge Heydon liad occasion 10 comment upon the action of the Farriers' L'nion in summoning an employer for not paying one of his men the minimum wage. In this case it was proved that the employee had a permit i.o be employed at a rate below the minimum wages' as a slow worker. His I-lonor said that the case afforded «, good illustration of the necessity for protecting slow workers. Slowness was one of the elements of incompetence, but because a man who had reached the age of 55 had become slower in his work than when he was iu the full vigor of xianhood, that was no reason why lie should be debarred from getting employment altogether. It was a barbarous business to force these willing and partly competent men into the charitable institutions. He could think of 110 greater wrong, and the Legislature had wisely decided to protect such men. He would certainly come down hard upon any employer who abused the benevolent provisions of the Act, but in this cas'c there was nothing to suggest that the employer had endeavored to do so. On the face of matters, it was a cruel thing for the union to keep following this old man about to prevent him getting work, and it appeared to him a blameworthy proceeding.

The representative of the union said that the union dealt only with the principle of paying less than the minimum wage in this case, so it did not follow the man about.

His Honor dismissed the summons, but without cos'ts, as there had been a breach of the law by someone in not notifying the union of the conditions of employment.