THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 140, 6 November 1914, Page 4

THE TIMBER INDUSTRY.

SHORTENING TIME. By Telegraph.—Per Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. The Arbitration Court sat to-day as a Koyal Commission under the Trade and <tommerce Act, to hear an application made by the Auckland Sawmillers' Asso «iation for a variation of the timberworkers' award, so as to allow timberworkers to be employed and paid at per hour, instead of at per week. It was explained that the war has had the effect of reducing the activity of the industry, and the employment of men on shorter time was the only alternative to the induction of stalls. The association a].--;, made a, condition of the variation tliei four days' work per week was to be spread over live days. This was strom'iy opposed by the union, which, however, was prepared to accept four days' work confined to four.days, allowing the men to engage in some other occunaticn on the two days, and the Court said it would support the attitude taken up i,y the union. The association's representative, said this was not acceptable, and smco the employers could not have four days' work spread over five days, which the exigencies of the industry demanded they would probably adopt the other alternative, and dismiss a number of hands.