ARBITRATION AWARDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 4, 29 June 1911, Page 5

ARBITRATION AWARDS.

DIFFICULTIES IN AUSTRALIA. By Gable—Press AsMciaii«i—Oopyilgflt Sydney, June 28. Mr. Mitchell, general secretary of the Engine Drivers' and Firemen's Association, referring to the High Court judgment regarding registration under the Commonwealth Arbitration Act, asks the Federal Government to amend the Act in order to overcome the difficulty created, a»d clearly to define the meaning of an industry. ,Tlie judgment, he said, rendered invalid a large number of industrial agreements, and if they were interfered with trouble would ensue. Although opposed to strikes, that was the only method left if they were deprived of the right of arbitration. Tt was possible that the Governor-General might proclaim such an association us this, an organisation under the Act. If that was done the trouble would be averted. Referring to the different courts, he stated that it cost ;6100 less to obtain an award in the Federal Court, covering the whole of Australia, than in the State Court for the State only, ; . i! .' f CARPENTERS' AND JOINERS. , JUDGE'S IM POUT ANT REMARKS. By Telegraph.—Preag Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Court continued its sittings to-day. Judgment was reserved in a compei'r sation case brought by the executors of Alexander McTlutcheon, road overseer to the Castlepoint County Council, a claim of £SOO, and £2O funeral expenses. The deceased met with a fatal accident while driving from his home, to the county office. The defence claimed that deceased did not meet with the acciuent while engaged in the course of his- employment, a-s a worker was not employed till ne started work. -, Tue hearing was commenced of the dispute between the Carpenters and Joiners' Union and employers. Mr. Maddison, for the union, s.iid the main points in which the claims differed from the old award were in regard to wages, preference and exemption. The union was seeking for a minimum wage of Is Sd per hour of a week of -W hours. . His Honor: "hs that put forward as a serious demand, Mr. Maddison?" Mr. Maddison: "its, your Honor. We make that demand seriously."

His Honor: "You ask the Court to increase the rate by 4d per hour?" Mr. Maddison: ''What is demanded by the union is, we consider, justified by the position of things at the present time." The present case, he went on to say, was the same as was before the Court in June, 1901), the same dispute and the same demands. He spoke at length on the .subject of the average earnings being greatly reduced by'peiiods of -unemployment. His Honor: "Ought we, to take the question of lmeniploynieutiivto the matter of framing a minimum wage at all? (an't you see that if the minimum were raised for that reason there would be a great rush to the ranks of carpenters and joiners of a large number of men? This must increase tho proportion of unemployed. Then you will ask the Court to raise the minimum to 2-s per hour, and so on." The Court, he added, was not able to provide an insurance fund for unemployment, mat was for Parliament to do.

The evidence for the union was then heard. ' The ease will be continued, tomorrow.