ARBITRATION COURT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 268, 22 March 1911, Page 5

ARBITRATION COURT

SHEARING SUED HANDS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Palmerston North, List Night. The Arbitration Court concluded its sittings to-day. The first case was an appeal from the decision of Mr. Thomson, S.M., in the case of Charles Lennox, llaxmiller, of Foxton, for employing men after one o'clock on Saturday. The Magistrate held that the clause of the award need not necessarily apply to piece-workers. Against this decision the Flax-workers'. Union appealed, and judgment was reserved. The chief business was the hearing of the application of the shearing shed hands for an award. At present there is no award governing these hands, and they sought to bring in an award similar in many respects to the shearers' award, and making a minimum wnae of £2 and rations. Against this the Sheepowners' Federation of New Zealand proposed a counter-award, in which pressors arc to receive 27s (id, and other shedworlcers 25s and found. The owners held that the men's claim amounted to £2 Lis, and included Maori girls and youths. The owners also desire that all owners who shear less than 2500 sheep be excluded from the award; that employers have the right to require shed hands to fill in spare time in performing olher duties than those connected wilh shearing operations or shed work; also that members of employers' families, permanent employees, or children of Maori parentage under sixteen years, be not affected by the award; also that youths and Maori girls may be employed at eighteen years of age for 15s per week, over 18 and under 20 at 20s per week and board and lodging; cooks 355. All these clauses were opposed by Mr. T-aracv. on behalf of the union. Mr. Nivens, of Wairarapa, a member of the Council of the Federated Sheep-owners, and Mr. IT. D. Ackland. of Christchurch, the president, gave evidence for the sheep-owners. for whom Mr. Pryor conducted the case. Judgment was reserved.