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Sir, — Board of Conciliation (Canterbury District), Christchuroh, Ist December, 1899. In the matter of Amalgamated Sooiety of Carpenters and Joiners, Rangiora Branoh, and C. Blake and others : I have to report that in the above case the Board has been unable to bring about a settlement of the dispute. I have, &c, The Clerk of Awards, Christchuroh. A. H. Turnbull, Chairman. Christchurch Bootmakers. Sir, — Board of Conciliation (Canterbury District), Christchurch, 4th December, 1899. No. 218. —New Zealand Federated Boot Trade Industrial Union and Messrs. Skelton, Frostiok, and Co.: The Board's recommendation in the above case is, " That, as in the opinion of the Board the present award was baßed upon work to be done on iron lasts, if wooden lasts be substituted an extra rate of 12J per cent, shall be paid benchmen thereon until the expiration of the present award. When the present award expires this question then to be brought forward for reconsideration." I have, &c, To the Clerk of Awards, Christohuroh. A. H. Turnbull, Chairman. Sir, — Board of Conciliation (Canterbury District), Christchurch, 6th December, 1899. No. 218.—New Zealand Federated Bootmakers' Union and Messrs. Skelton, Frostick, and Co.: I have to intimate to you that in the above matter the Board has been unable to bring about a settlement of the dispute. I have, &c, The Clerk of Awards, Christchuroh. A. H. Turnbull, Chairman. Christchurch Tramway Drivers. Sir, — Canterbury Board of Conciliation (Christchurch District), Christchurch, 4th December, 1899. No. 219.—Christohurch United Tramway and Livery Stables Grooms and Drivers' Union and Christchurch Tramway Company and others : The Board's recommendation in the above case is,— 1. That eight hours shall constitute a day's work and forty-eight hours a week's work. 2. That guards and horse-drivers be paid a minimum wage of 7s. 6d. per day, and roadmen and grooms a minimum wage of 7s. per day. 3. All wages to be paid weekly. 4. That all time worked in excess of eight hours in any one day shall be considered overtime, and paid for at the rate of time and a quarter up to ten hours per day, and beyond ten hours at time and a half. 5. All work performed on statutory and (or) public holidays and (or) Sundays to be paid for at time and a half. 6. That employers shall give preference of employment to unionists. An industrial agreement embodying the above conditions to be entered into on or before the 9th instant, and to be for a term of two years from that date. I have, &c, The Clerk of Awards, Christchurch. A. H. Turnbull, Chairman. Dear Sir, — Board of Conciliation (Canterbury Distriot), Christohuroh, 12th December, 1899. No. 219.—Tramway Employes and Livery Stable Uniou and Christchuroh Tramway Gompauy and others : I have to intimate that in the above case the Board has been unable to bring about a settlement of the dispute. I have, &c, The Clerk of Awards, Supreme Court, Christohurch. A. H. Turnbull, Chairman. Otago Coal-miners. In the matter of " The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1894," and in the matter of a dispute between the Otago Coal-miners' Industrial Union of Workers and certain employers in the Green Island distriot. The Conciliation Board for the Industrial District of Otago and Southland, having received the necessary proofs establishing its jurisdiction in the above matter, and having heard the parties and considered the evidence, hereby recommends as follows :— That the parties to the said dispute enter into an industrial agreement for a term of one year and ten months from the Ist day of February, 1900, such agreement to contain the following provisions : — 1. Balloting for Places. —Balloting every threo months. All places to be balloted for. Headings and levels to be balloted for specially. General ballot to take place afterwards. Names of those thrown out of the special ballot to be put in the general one. One man to ballot for his place in the same manner as two or more men would ballot for one place. First man out of a place to be put into the first plaoe vacant or to start: Provided that the minemanager may withdraw a man, if during the three months he thinks it necessary for the safety of the place, in order to put a more competent man in his place. 2. Rates. —The following hewing rates shall be paid : Round coal, lid. per box; small coal (ljin. riddle), 9d. per box ; small coal (lin. riddle), 7d. per box ; triping, 6d. per box; dross, 4d. per box. 3. Pillars. —Pillars, when taken back in the solid, Id. per box less than above rates ; otherwise, the above rates or shift wages, at the option of the employer, shall be paid. 4. Boxes. —Four boxes of existing sizes in use at eaoh mine shall constitute a ton. 5. Narrow Places. —For narrow places yardage at the following rates is to be paid in addition to the above tonnage rates, viz.: Headings, 6 ft.—7 ft., 45.; levels, 6 ft.—7 ft., 3s. 3d.; levels, 7 ft.—9 ft., 2s. 6d.; stentons, per yard, 2s. 6d. 6. Piecework only. —All ooal-hewing to be done on pieoe rates, exoept in deficient places, provided that the minemanager may enter into any arrangement which he thinks proper with the men for the working of the defioient places by piecework at suoh advances upon the prices herein mentioned for piecework of a like oharaoter, but not deficient, as may be agreed on between the mine-manager and th,e mine committee. This clause is not to prevent the overseer and lads employed in trucking being allowed to work in their spare time hewing coal or doing other work. 7. Deficient Places. —Deficient plaoes are places less than 7 ft. high or 6 ft. wide, or with stone in them, soft faulty places, and extremely hard places. These are to be paid for at shift wages. 8. Shift Wages. —Shift wages shall be 9s. per day. 9. Wet Places. —Wet places to be paid for at shift wages for six-hour shifts. 10. Eight-hours Day. —Eight hours at the face to constitute a day's work. 11. Regulation of Boxes. —Boxes to be regulated throughout the mine so that each man gets his share, provided the man can take his turn. 12. Miner shifted. —If a miner be taken from the faoe to do any work in connection with the mine (whether outside or in) shift wages to be paid him. 13. Trucking Distances. —Truoking distances from the face not to exoeed 4 ohaina; beyond that to be paid for at Id. per box for every chain or part of a ohain. 14. Sharpening Tools. —Tools to be sharpened by the employers free of oost to the workmen, or all requisites for sharpening to be provided and facilities given for sharpening, 15. Truckers', de, Wages. —Truckers, horse-drivers, and rope-attendants' wages to be as follows: For men over nineteen years of age, not less than 7s. per day ; for lads or boys under nineteen, not less than ss. per day ; but a special wage less than the above-mentioned wage may be fixed for any trucker by agreement between the minemanager and the mine oommittee.