ARBITRATION COURT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8879, 13 November 1907, Page 5

ARBITRATION COURT.

PLASTERERS' DISPUTE. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, November 12. The Arbitration Court,' to-day, heard the dispute between the employers and the Plasterers' Union. Prior' to proceeding with the dispute proper, some discussion took place on the area to which the Court's award should apply. His Honor Mr Justice Sim said the present award extended for a radius of fifteen miles outside of Wellington. It setmed to him that at the present stage the Court could not make a new award on wider lines. Mr Westbrooke, for the union, wanted the award to apply over the whole of the industrial district, stating that in Napier the cost of living was as high as in Wellington.

Mr Brown remarked that it was even said by a man in Nelson that that the dearest place in th.« dominion. After further discussion, the suggestion of his Honor to take • a limited award with respect to Wellington at the, present sitting, and defer the country disputes to the next sitting of the Court, was agreed to by Mr Westhrooke. Mr Greenfield then addressed the Court for the" employers. They asked that provision should be made for improvers and that- the term of apprenticeship should be made seven years. With regard to wages, they asked for the payment of Is 7d per hcu", or one-fifth ot\a penny less than the present rate. Ihe employers objected to preference being given to unionists. After evidence had been given for the employers and workers, his Honor intimated that the Court would give judgment at a later stage. The Gear Meat Company and W. J. Helyer were granted exemption from the award on condition that not leps than award rates of wages should be paid for casual labour. An application for exemption by the Carrara Ceiling Co. on the ground that the work done by the company is not plasterers' work, was held over for the present.