AUCKLAND SAWMILLING INDUSTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3, 3 January 1903, Page 2

AUCKLAND SAWMILLING INDUSTRY.

EBTOP* T HE ASB-XTBATJON

(By CwesflonflenW

WS&I'INGTOtf, this day.

An Auckland ea-wmiller who was %m a few d&ys %B°> has been giv " tng "hip opinions to a, pressman eesrTVJng thj waring of th« Conciliation and Arbitration Act, which, lie States, is not operating to advantage of either sawmill employers in the |?orth or their men. He stated that, ag the result of the reduction of the pumber of working hours ordered by the Arbitration Court the output of his mill is over 10,000 ft a. week less than before the , Court made its award, When the. sawmill employees' case was before the Court in Auckland, evidence was given by the pnion that as much, timber could be cut if shorter hours were, worked as when mills were running abo;rt ten toours )R day. The Court reduced the number of hours, and at more than qn.e mill the hands then endeavoured to prove to their employers the Gorreetness of their assertion. For p, time the men succeeded, but the pace was too hot to last, and for months they have not been able to.do much more than did before the a.wai-# w»s made. The employer whose e.yperiepee is quoted, finds that his expenses have increased to such an extent that he has been obliged to abqlish several privileges which his men had enjoyed fgr many years. Under the award some of his-men had the.ip wa.gej increased, while others are now being paid le§s,, The output Of the mill being so much Jegs. in cqnsequence of tbe reduction of working hours, fewer logs are being cut, and, consequently, the number of bushmen employed is less than in former years. On the whole the Auckland sawmillers are of opinion that the employees have not benefited by the awards, and the employers have, despite the increased price of timber, earned less than before the award was made.