ARBITRATION COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1921, Page 4

ARBITRATION COURT.

THRESHING MILL WAGES. By j\-!e^rai>h.—Press Association. Christchurch, Dec. 17. The Arbitration Court, in a memorandum attached to a new award for North Canterbury threshing mills employees, states that the court has not altered the rates of wages as it had ascertained from the Board of Trade that prices of wheat for the ensuing season have been fixed inferentially on the basis of present costs. Evidence was given as to the profits of threshing mill owners that they did not warrant the court reducing wages on the ground that the industry was being imperilled and it did not appear that any concession to fanners at this stage should be made at the expense of wages. The new award is practically the same as the old. The court made only minor alterations in the wages of the Christchurch picture theatre employees’ award. AUCKLAND MINERS’ AWARD. Auckland, Dec. 17. Tn the Arbitration Court the Auckland Mineowners’ Association applied to have the miners of their district joined to an a ward. Mr. Bishop, secretary of the association, in presenting the ease for the owners, said that for some time the owners and miners of this district had settled their disputes by agreement outside of the court, but the executive of the Miners' Federation had proved a disturbing factor. The federation demanded far-reaching impossible terms for a new national agreement, and the owners felt they were under an absolute necessity to revert to local agreements with the miners.' The companies had. endeavored to settle the matter by conciliation, but every effort had failed owing to the action of the federation, whose action had been tyrannical, and who were prepared to impose any hardship on the workers and the public to gain their objective. The owners had therefore been compelled to come before the court. He submitted that while miners’ earnings were nominally only 50 per cent, higher than in pre-war days they actually were SO per cent, higher in many cases and 80 per cent, higher in all daily wage cases. The owners did nou ask for a reduction of the living oi’ wages rate, but wanted a reduction in respect of certain special concessions that had crept in since the national agreement was made. NORTHERN MINERS’ DISPUTE. Auckland, Last Night. The Arbitration Court sat until nearly ten o’clock last night to hear the Huntly, Rotowaru and pukemiro miners’ dispute. Evidence was heard from James Bishop, general manager for the Taupiri Mines, Ltd., and E. S. White, manager at Pukemiro, in support- of the opening statement. Evidence was caller for Wilson’s and the Hikurangi miners who objected to the. tion of shiftmen, which it was said would lead to a good deal of trouble. The existing arrangement, it was said, had worked well. The Court reserved its decision.